The Election Commission has asked Rahul Gandhi to submit an affidavit with evidence, warning of legal action if the allegations are not substantiated.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, during a press conference on August 7, 2025, leveled serious allegations of vote theft and electoral fraud against the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
He specifically mentioned the Mahadevapura Assembly segment of the Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha seat, claiming that 1,00,250 votes were stolen there. Rahul asserted that he has concrete evidence, including irregularities in voter lists, with over 11,000 duplicate voters, 40,000 fake addresses, and more than 33,000 instances of misuse of Form 6.
He cited an example involving a woman, Shakun Rani, who allegedly voted twice. He described this as a “grave crime” against the Constitution and democracy.
The Election Commission termed these allegations “misleading” and directed Rahul Gandhi to provide evidence and sign a declaration under election rules.
The Commission warned that if the allegations are proven false, Rahul may have to issue an apology or face legal consequences.
Meanwhile, the BJP dismissed the allegations, calling them a “disrespect to the country’s prestigious institutions” and a result of “frustration from defeat.”
BJP MP PC Mohan and Shiv Sena’s Naresh Mhaske labeled the accusations as “absurd” and “childish.”On August 8, 2025, Rahul led a ‘Vote Adhikar Rally’ in Bengaluru, further raising the issue and demanding that the Karnataka government investigate this “organized vote theft.”
He also posed five questions to the Election Commission on his social media account, regarding the transparency of voter lists and the deletion of CCTV evidence. Several opposition leaders supported Rahul, while the ruling party and the Election Commission rejected the allegations.