In August 2025, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the Election Commission of overseeing a massive “vote chori” (vote theft). The charge triggered a political storm, but as events unfolded, retractions, unanswered questions and counterclaims left the allegations on shaky ground.
1. Sanjay Kumar’s Retracted Claims
Psephologist Sanjay Kumar of Lokniti-CSDS first fuelled the debate by tweeting that voter numbers had dipped in some Maharashtra constituencies, echoing Congress concerns. Two days later, however, he apologised, admitting that the data had been misread by his team, and deleted the tweet. The Supreme Court later stayed the FIRs filed against him.
2. Election Commission Demands Proof
Following Gandhi’s allegations, the Election Commission (EC) gave him seven days to submit proof via affidavit. Gandhi, however, failed to provide any documents and instead insisted that “what he was saying” was proof enough. State Chief Electoral Officers in Maharashtra, Haryana and Karnataka also sought evidence.
3. Missteps in Bihar: Minta Devi and Ranju Devi
During rallies, Rahul cited the case of Minta Devi, claiming her name was missing from voter rolls. Records later showed it was intact. In another instance, Ranju Devi initially alleged that six of her family members were excluded, but later told the media that she had been pressured to say so and confirmed that all names were indeed present.
4. Social Media Backlash
The controversy also spread online. Influencer Kavya Karnatak, in an Instagram video, alleged that a man had voted in four places. She later deleted the video and admitted it was an error in the wake of possible legal action.
5. Political Fallout
The BJP and defenders of the EC called Gandhi’s narrative baseless. Devendra Fadnavis described the claims as “weaponised misinformation”. However, opposition leaders, including the Thackerays, backed Rahul’s allegations and urged vigilance. Despite lacking proof, Gandhi continued to campaign on the “vote chori” theme.
In Indian politics, it appears that making allegations and then washing one’s hands of them without offering any substantial proof is commonplace. Interestingly, this is not the first time. Not just Rahul Gandhi, but several Indian politicians have acted in this way as per their whims and fancies. Who will bell such cats remains a charade.
