Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday strongly rebutted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s claims of large-scale voter manipulation in the state, calling the allegations an attempt to mislead the country with “lies.” The controversy stems from Gandhi’s press conference earlier in the day, where he alleged that nearly 25 lakh “fake” or invalid voters were listed in Haryana during the 2024 assembly elections, which the Congress narrowly lost.

Addressing reporters in Panchkula, Saini initially refrained from giving a detailed response but then accused Gandhi and the Congress party of fabricating issues to distract from their failures. “Rahul Gandhi is trying to mislead the country. The Congress always worked towards pushing the country back,” Saini said.

He added that the Congress, along with Rahul Gandhi, whom he referred to as the party’s “yuvraj” or prince, had no real issues to raise and were attempting to misguide public opinion. “They are misleading the country by speaking lies. People will not join you by spreading such falsehoods,” Saini said. He also referenced the Congress party’s political legacy, stating, “Even after four generations of rule, the Congress and Rahul Gandhi Baba speak lies. That is unfortunate.”

Rahul Gandhi’s Allegations

During his press conference, Rahul Gandhi presented electoral data claiming that one in every eight voters in Haryana— approximately 12.5% of the total electorate of two crore — were fake. According to Gandhi, this included 5.21 lakh duplicate voters, 93,174 invalid voters, and 19.26 lakh bulk voters.

He argued that this alleged voter manipulation directly affected the outcome of the Haryana assembly elections, which Congress reportedly lost by just 22,000 votes, calling the situation a “theft of democracy.” Gandhi also cited an instance where a single photo was allegedly used for 223 votes, including that of a Brazilian model, as evidence of irregularities.

Gandhi further criticized Saini personally, highlighting a video clip in which the CM allegedly appeared aware of the “vote theft” before the elections. “Please notice the smile on his face and the ‘vyavastha’ (system) he is talking about,” Gandhi said, implying that Saini condoned or participated in the alleged manipulation.

BJP and Election Commission Response

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dismissed Gandhi’s claims as “false and baseless,” accusing the Congress leader of attempting to question the credibility of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to divert attention from the party’s electoral failures. BJP spokespersons maintained that the state elections were conducted in a free and fair manner and that the allegations of mass voter fraud were entirely fabricated.

Meanwhile, unidentified Election Commission officials reportedly told news agencies that Gandhi’s charges were “unfounded.” They noted that no appeals or complaints had been filed against the electoral rolls in Haryana, nor were any instances of multiple voting or voter manipulation flagged during or after the elections.

Political Fallout

The exchange reflects the rising tension between the BJP-led Haryana government and the Congress party, particularly in the wake of tightly contested elections. Rahul Gandhi’s allegations, if unproven, risk being viewed as an attempt to question the integrity of India’s election machinery for political gain, while the BJP’s counterclaims reinforce its narrative of governance stability and electoral legitimacy.

As the dispute escalates, both sides are likely to continue trading accusations, with Congress emphasizing electoral accountability and BJP defending the credibility of its officials and the ECI. The controversy also underscores the larger national debate around voter list accuracy and the integrity of the electoral process in India.

Haryana CM Saini concluded his remarks by reiterating that the Congress has “no issues of substance” and accused the party of spreading falsehoods, signaling that the state government would not entertain what it considers politically motivated allegations.

The standoff is expected to dominate political discourse in Haryana in the coming days, especially as parties gear up for the next round of elections and campaigns for public opinion.