Allegations of Electoral Manipulation Erupt in India as Opposition Demands Accountability

Tensions in Indian politics rise as opposition parties accuse the Election Commission of manipulating voter rolls to benefit the ruling BJP. Rahul Gandhi's claims of "vote theft" and requests for accountability have sparked widespread debate, with the election body and BJP refuting the allegations ahead of critical elections.

The ongoing political turbulence in India centers on serious allegations of "vote theft" concerning the 2024 general elections, with opposition factions accusing the Election Commission of India (ECI) of engaging in dubious practices that seemingly benefitted the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

On Tuesday, parliament was interrupted as opposition MPs clamored for a thorough examination of the electoral process' integrity. The previous day witnessed the temporary detainment of several opposition leaders, including prominent Congress party figure Rahul Gandhi, by police in Delhi while they attempted to demonstrate at the ECI headquarters in response to the election controversies. Gandhi initially voiced concerns during a press conference on August 7 and has attracted considerable backing from a multitude of lawmakers.

The backdrop to these allegations includes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's historic third term victory; however, the BJP-led alliance fell short of the expected sweeping majority in the elections, which saw a voter turnout of 66% among nearly a billion registered voters globally. Gandhi pointed specifically to issues within the voter list for Mahadevapura, a Bangalore constituency, arguing that over 100,000 entries had been artificially manipulated—citing duplicates, false addresses, and mass registrations at single locations.

He claimed cases such as that of Shakun Rani, allegedly casting ballots twice, although this assertion has been contested by the election body. Gandhi further pointed to purported deletions of CCTV footage from polling booths and instances where numerous individuals were listed at a single address, contending that such irregularities cost his party at least 48 seats, while the Congress ultimately secured just 99 out of 543 seats.

The ECI and BJP have emphatically dismissed Gandhi's accusations. Following his press conference, the ECI labeled his claims as "absurd" and challenged him to either retract his statements or provide sworn documentation to support them. Furthermore, the ECI asserted that the Congress party failed to file formal objections during the electoral roll revision process leading up to the 2024 polls.

The BJP has echoed the ECI's rejection of the allegations, with party leaders decrying the situation as alarming for democracy itself, arguing that it represents an affront to constitutional integrity.

The political fallout surrounding Gandhi's accusations is amplified by recent events in Bihar, where contentious revisions of voter rolls are underway prior to upcoming elections. Critics claim these revisions have unjustly disenfranchised certain voter demographics, particularly minorities and migrants. Presently, India’s Supreme Court is reviewing petitions disputing the electoral roll revisions and potential mass disenfranchisement.

Gandhi intensified his claims of electoral manipulation on August 12, asserting that these issues extend "at a national level and systematically." He highlighted ongoing anomalies, including absurd cases like a 124-year-old voter listed in Bihar's draft electoral roll, insisting that countless similar examples exist.

This situation continues to unfold against a backdrop of considerable mistrust within the electoral process, as the nation braces for forthcoming electoral events and the scrutiny they will undoubtedly entail.