Rahul Gandhi declared on January 24, 2026, that the ECI has ceased being democracy's protector and is now a "key participant in the conspiracy of vote theft," specifically linking it to the Gujarat SIR process.
He alleged the SIR is a strategic vote chori mechanism, involving manipulated mass objections (millions via Form 7) after low initial responses, aimed at disenfranchising opposition-supporting voters.
This escalates Gandhi's ongoing "Vote Chori" narrative from 2025 allegations in multiple states, claiming ECI-BJP collusion in voter deletions and irregularities; the ECI and BJP have dismissed the claims as unfounded.
ECI No Longer Protector Of Democracy but Key Participant In 'Vote Chori' Conspiracy: Rahul Gandhi
Gandhi's statement came in response to a social media post by the Gujarat Congress unit, which alleged that following his earlier exposures of vote manipulation, the BJP had escalated to a "next-level model of election rigging."
Summary
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, launched a sharp attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing it of transforming from a guardian of democracy into a central player in a systematic "vote chori" (vote theft) conspiracy. His remarks, made in Hindi on X (formerly Twitter), targeted the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Gujarat, which he described as a "well-planned, organised, and strategic vote chori" rather than a routine administrative exercise.
Gandhi's statement came in response to a social media post by the Gujarat Congress unit, which alleged that following his earlier exposures of vote manipulation, the BJP had escalated to a "next-level model of election rigging." He claimed that the SIR process in Gujarat involved a sudden flood of millions of objections (via Form 7) after an initially low response period, disproportionately targeting voters from communities likely to support the opposition. Gandhi asserted that "wherever there's SIR, there's vote theft," and emphasized that the ECI had become a "key participant in this conspiracy of vote theft," thereby undermining the integrity of India's electoral process.
The allegations fit into Gandhi's broader "Vote Chori" campaign, which he has pursued since mid-2025, citing alleged irregularities in voter rolls across states like Karnataka, Haryana, Bihar, and Maharashtra. He has repeatedly accused the ECI of colluding with the BJP to delete or manipulate votes, particularly affecting minorities, Dalits, and opposition-leaning voters, through centralized operations, fake entries, and refusal to share critical data (such as IP logs and OTP trails) with investigating agencies like the Karnataka CID.
The ECI has consistently rejected such claims as baseless, often demanding evidence under oath and dismissing them as unsubstantiated. BJP leaders have countered by accusing Gandhi of discrediting institutions, spreading disinformation, and refusing to accept electoral defeats. This latest outburst has intensified political polarization ahead of upcoming state and local polls, with debates raging over electoral roll revisions, voter deletions, and the independence of the poll watchdog.
Published At: