New Delhi [India], November 5 (HBTV): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has alleged large-scale voter fraud in the 2024 Haryana assembly elections, claiming that one in every eight voters in the state was fake. Gandhi said his team had ‘clear proof’ of around 25 lakh voters being duplicate, nonexistent, or manipulated, citing major discrepancies between postal and booth votes.
Speaking at a press conference titled H Files, Gandhi asserted, ‘We have crystal clear proof that 25 lakh voters in Haryana are fake — either they don’t exist, or they are duplicates, or they are designed in a way for anyone to vote. One in eight voters in Haryana are fake — that’s 12.5 per cent.’ He added that the irregularities suggested the state’s election was not isolated but part of a larger pattern.
‘We suspected this was not happening only in individual constituencies but at state and national levels. Numerous complaints came from our candidates in Haryana that something was not right. All predictions went upside down,’ Gandhi said. He noted that Congress had faced similar issues in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra but had decided to ‘zoom in’ on Haryana for detailed investigation.
According to Gandhi, the Congress’s internal data had pointed to a strong victory in Haryana, and even exit polls had predicted a Congress win. However, the final results diverged sharply, particularly in postal ballots. He said, ‘For the first time in Haryana’s electoral history, postal votes differed drastically from booth votes. This had never happened before. When I first saw the data, I couldn’t believe it. I asked my team to cross-check multiple times.’
Gandhi described the Haryana elections as a ‘lie’, alleging that a flawed voter list undermined democracy. ‘If the voter list is a lie, there is no democracy. Every single party understands this. The fundamental question of an election is the integrity of the voter list,’ he said, adding that the opposition would coordinate its next steps collectively.
He further alleged that 3.5 lakh voters had been removed from the rolls ahead of the Haryana polls and claimed to have recordings of individuals who admitted to voting multiple times at different polling booths. Gandhi urged India’s youth and Gen Z voters to ‘safeguard democracy through truth and non-violence,’ asserting that they had the power to ‘restore democracy’.
Meanwhile, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Haryana responded to Gandhi’s allegations, requesting him to sign and submit an affidavit under Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, along with the names of the alleged fake voters. The CEO’s statement read, ‘As far as the conduct of elections is concerned, results can be questioned only by way of an Election Petition before the Hon’ble High Court.’ It added that voter lists had been shared with Congress representatives before polling, but no objections were raised at that time.
Reacting to Gandhi’s remarks, BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda dismissed the H Files press conference as a ‘fake political stunt’, accusing Gandhi of diverting attention ahead of the Bihar assembly elections. Nadda said, ‘Elections are being held in Bihar, but Rahul Gandhi is talking about Haryana because the Mahagathbandhan is set to lose. He is already looking for excuses.’
Nadda further claimed that Gandhi was trying to ‘defame India and incite the youth’, adding, ‘The Election Commission repeatedly summons him to prove his allegations, but he refuses. His sole aim is to spread chaos and anarchy. However, the youth of this country stand with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India’s progress.’
BJP spokesperson Ajay Alok also criticised Gandhi’s statements, calling them an ‘official admission of defeat’ in the Bihar elections. He said, ‘Rahul Gandhi and serious? That itself is questionable. The same tactic doesn’t work again and again. This is not vote theft — this is “dimaag chori”, not “vote chori”. It’s an attempt to provoke Gen Z.’
Alok added that Gandhi had become a ‘subject of jokes among the youth’ and accused him of aligning with extremist ideologies. ‘He only wants to spread anarchy, sitting in the lap of Naxalites. After his statement, even his candidates in Bihar have accepted defeat,’ he said.
The controversy continues to escalate as both the Congress and BJP trade barbs, with the Election Commission expected to review Gandhi’s affidavit once submitted.
(ANI)