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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'Insensitivity towards poor, arrogance of power': Rahul Gandhi slams BJP over demolitions in Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 27 (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said hundreds of slum dwellers in Delhi are going through the pain of being rendered homeless with their houses being destroyed by the BJP government, as he claimed that this "atrocity" exposes the ruling party's "insensitivity" towards the poor and its "arrogance of power".
The leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha shared a video of his recent visit to Delhi's Ashok Vihar area where houses of several people were brought down by the administration.
"Imagine, how would you feel if the roof over the head of your parents, children or siblings is suddenly taken away - if your entire family is rendered homeless in a single moment? Hundreds of poor families living in the jhuggis of Delhi are going through this pain today," Gandhi said in his post in Hindi on X along with the video.
The small houses in which they had settled their entire life were "ruthlessly destroyed" by the BJP government, he alleged.
These were not just houses - these were their dreams, their dignity and their means of living, he said.
"This atrocity being committed in the name of administration exposes the BJP's insensitivity towards the poor and its arrogance of power," Gandhi said.
"We stand firmly with these displaced families. This fight is no longer just for homes, it is for justice and humanity - and we will fight on every front," the former Congress chief said.
Last week, Gandhi had met some families in Ashok Vihar's Jailorwala Bagh and Wazirpur, whose houses were "bulldozed by the BJP government of Delhi".
In the video, Gandhi is seen interacting with the families who were rendered homeless. He assures them of taking up their cause and providing legal assistance.
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) last month had carried out an anti-encroachment drive in West Delhi's Ashok Vihar and razed over 300 illegal dwellings.
A simultaneous anti-encroachment drive was also carried out in North Delhi's Wazirpur area by Indian Railways.
The demolition was carried out amid heavy police and paramilitary deployment. A total of 308 illegal dwellings were cleared from the Jailorwala Bagh in the Ashok Vihar area, as part of DDA's efforts to remove unauthorised settlements.
According to DDA, the action targeted jhuggi structures belonging to residents who were either already allotted alternative flats or were found ineligible under the rehabilitation policy.
सोचिए, अगर आपके अपने माँ-बाप, बच्चे या भाई-बहन के सिर से अचानक छत छीन ली जाए - अगर आपके पूरे परिवार को एक ही पल में बेघर कर दिया जाए, तो आपको कैसा लगेगा?
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 27, 2025
दिल्ली की झुग्गियों में रहने वाले सैकड़ों ग़रीब परिवार आज इसी दर्द से गुजर रहे हैं। जिन छोटे-छोटे घरों में उनकी पूरी ज़िंदगी… pic.twitter.com/lftR8NxwKD
