Published on: November 12, 2025 | Updated: 10:06 PM IST

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has once again launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of India (EC), alleging that the ruling party, in collusion with the poll body, is orchestrating widespread electoral malpractice. Gandhi claimed that the “murder of democracy” is unfolding in plain sight, as evidence of vote tampering and manipulation surfaces across multiple states.

The controversy erupted after the Congress party shared a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), showing what it claimed was the same individual casting votes in different state elections — in Haryana, Delhi, and Bihar. Rahul Gandhi reposted the video, asserting that this was not an isolated incident but part of a coordinated effort to manipulate election outcomes.

“Millions of BJP members openly roam around different states casting votes,” Gandhi wrote in his post. “And to cover up this theft, all evidence is being erased. The BJP and EC are together openly stealing votes — the murder of democracy is happening live.”

Allegations of ‘Vote Chori’

Rahul Gandhi’s “vote chori” accusation — literally meaning “vote theft” — has become a recurring theme in his political rhetoric over the past few months, especially as the country undergoes a series of critical state elections. The Congress leader has maintained that the BJP, with the tacit support of the Election Commission, is systematically undermining the electoral process by manipulating voter lists, using duplicate voter IDs, and influencing election officials.

“This is not democracy. This is dictatorship disguised as elections,” Gandhi said in a recent rally in Patna before the Bihar polls. “The BJP does not win elections — it manufactures results.”

The Congress party’s official communication channels amplified Gandhi’s claims, sharing screenshots and alleged voter footage that purportedly demonstrate the same individual casting ballots in multiple constituencies. However, none of the claims have been independently verified, and the Election Commission has not yet responded to the specific allegations raised in the viral post.

Election Commission Silent, BJP Hits Back

The BJP, responding to Gandhi’s allegations, dismissed them as “baseless and desperate rhetoric” ahead of the Bihar Assembly election results, scheduled for November 14. Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Anurag Thakur said, “Rahul Gandhi has a habit of crying foul every time the Congress faces defeat. The Election Commission is an independent constitutional body, and his allegations are a direct insult to Indian democracy.”

Another BJP spokesperson, Shehzad Poonawalla, accused Gandhi of spreading misinformation. “This is nothing but an attempt to discredit the democratic process because the people have once again rejected the Congress. When Rahul Gandhi cannot win the trust of voters, he blames the EVMs, the EC, or the BJP,” he said.

The Election Commission, for its part, has refrained from issuing any formal statement. However, officials privately told several media outlets that the allegations appeared to be “unsubstantiated” and that the Commission maintains “zero tolerance” for any malpractice. If the footage shared online is proven genuine, officials say it would warrant a police investigation under the Representation of the People Act.

Bihar Elections in Spotlight

The controversy comes just as Bihar concluded its two-phase assembly elections on November 11, with counting scheduled for November 14. The elections are seen as a crucial test for both the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance), led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and supported by the Congress.

Exit polls released earlier this week indicate a strong showing for the NDA, projecting it to comfortably cross the majority mark of 122 seats in the 243-member Assembly.

• Axis My India projected 121–141 seats for the NDA and 98–118 for the Mahagathbandhan.
• Today’s Chanakya predicted 160 seats for the BJP and its allies, compared to 77 for the opposition bloc.
• Matrize Exit Poll forecast 147–167 seats for the NDA and 70–90 for the Mahagathbandhan.
• Dainik Bhaskar’s survey similarly predicted 145–160 for the NDA and 73–91 for the opposition.

The results, if they align with these predictions, would mark a decisive victory for the BJP and its partners, deepening Congress’s electoral troubles across the Hindi heartland.

‘Murder of Democracy’ Narrative

Rahul Gandhi’s “murder of democracy” remark has been one of his most frequent accusations against the BJP government, which he accuses of subverting democratic institutions — from Parliament to the judiciary and the press. His fresh outburst on X reflects growing frustration within the Congress ranks as the party struggles to regain electoral ground nationally.

“The BJP and the EC are two sides of the same coin,” Gandhi said in an earlier post. “From manipulating EVMs to deleting names from voter lists, the government is turning India’s democracy into a farce.”

Senior Congress leaders echoed Gandhi’s sentiments, demanding a full-scale inquiry into the alleged vote duplication. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “If even one such instance of multiple voting by a single individual is true, it exposes the complete collapse of the Election Commission’s integrity.”

The Congress party also hinted that it would raise the issue in Parliament’s upcoming session, calling for an independent investigation supervised by the Supreme Court.

Growing Opposition Tensions

Rahul Gandhi’s allegations come at a politically sensitive time, as opposition parties attempt to unify under the INDIA bloc to challenge the BJP in the 2026 state polls and the 2029 general elections. The bloc has already accused the central government of weaponizing investigative agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI to target opposition leaders.

Analysts suggest Gandhi’s renewed emphasis on “vote theft” is aimed at shaping a larger narrative of institutional capture and electoral manipulation — issues that could resonate with young and urban voters frustrated with governance failures and unemployment. However, political observers also caution that unverified claims risk backfiring if not supported by concrete evidence.

What Lies Ahead

The Election Commission is under increasing pressure to issue a clarification or conduct an inquiry into the allegations raised by the Congress. If found credible, such cases could trigger a significant political storm and fuel opposition protests across the country.

Meanwhile, the BJP appears unfazed, banking on the exit poll numbers and its organizational strength to secure another victory in Bihar. Party insiders say the leadership is focused on celebrating what it expects to be a resounding endorsement of its governance model.

As counting day approaches, Rahul Gandhi’s charge of “vote chori” has added a new dimension to the already charged political climate — turning what should have been a straightforward electoral contest into a full-blown battle over the credibility of India’s democracy.

Whether the Election Commission chooses to respond or not, the allegations have reignited an old debate: Is India’s electoral machinery truly independent, or has it been compromised by those in power? For now, the answer — and the truth behind Gandhi’s viral post — remains uncertain.