Despite EC’s response, Rahul Gandhi alleges voter fraud in Fadnavis' Constituency
New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has raised serious concerns over alleged irregularities in the voter list from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s Nagpur South West constituency, calling it an instance of “vote theft.”
In a post on social media platform X on Monday, Gandhi cited media reports and claimed that the voter list in Fadnavis’s constituency saw an unexplained increase of 8 percent in just five months. “In Maharashtra CM’s constituency, the voter list grew by 8% in just 5 months. Some booths saw a 20-50% surge,” Gandhi wrote.
He further alleged that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) reported unauthorised voting and that several individuals were found casting votes without verification. Gandhi shared a news article highlighting these irregularities and demanded that the Election Commission (EC) release the digital voter rolls and CCTV footage for scrutiny.
“BLOs reported unknown individuals casting votes. Media uncovered thousands of voters with no verified address,” the Congress leader and Rae Bareli MP added. He also accused the Election Commission of remaining silent on the matter. “And the EC? Silent – or complicit. These aren’t isolated glitches. This is vote theft. The cover-up is the confession,” Gandhi alleged.
Reacting to Gandhi’s post, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed the allegations and accused Gandhi of spreading misinformation. In a post on X, Fadnavis pointed out that voter rolls have also increased by similar margins in other constituencies, including those where Congress candidates were elected.
Quoting a Hindi proverb, Fadnavis wrote, “Jhuth bole kauwa kaate, koi kauwe se dariyo” (The crow bites when you lie, fear the black crow), implying that Gandhi's claims were false and baseless.
Meanwhile, it emerged that the Election Commission of India had officially responded to Gandhi’s concerns through a formal letter dated June 12. The EC clarified that the elections in Maharashtra were conducted in full compliance with laws passed by Parliament and existing rules.
The letter, sent in response to an article authored by Gandhi in a leading daily on June 7, stated that the entire electoral process is carried out in a decentralised manner involving extensive personnel and oversight. It said the process included more than 1,00,186 Booth Level Officers, 288 Electoral Registration Officers, 139 General Observers, 41 Police Observers, 71 Expenditure Observers and 288 Returning Officers.
The EC also pointed out that if any Indian National Congress (INC) candidates had issues regarding the conduct of elections, they could have raised them through formal election petitions in the competent courts.
“However, if you still have any issues, you are welcome to write to us, and the Commission is also willing to meet you in person at a mutually convenient date and time to discuss all issues,” the EC added.
In Maharashtra CM’s own constituency, the voter list grew by 8% in just 5 months.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 24, 2025
Some booths saw a 20-50% surge.
BLOs reported unknown individuals casting votes.
Media uncovered thousands of voters with no verified address.
And the EC? Silent - or complicit.
These aren’t… pic.twitter.com/32q9dflfB9
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
