Rahul Gandhi alleges large-scale rigging in 2024 Lok Sabha elections, claims 1.5 lakh fake voters in one seat alone. Says Modi’s majority is built on fraud; promises explosive revelations with “100% proof”.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, August 2, 2025: – Calling India’s democracy “deeply compromised,” Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a blistering attack on the integrity of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, alleging large-scale rigging, fake voters, and institutional capture. Addressing a legal conclave on constitutional challenges, Gandhi declared that the electoral system is “already dead” and accused the Election Commission of India of enabling what he described as the theft of a national mandate. He claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government rests on a “very slim majority” that would have collapsed had even 15 seats not been manipulated—and suggested the real number of compromised constituencies could be as high as 100.
Backing his claims with data from a Karnataka Assembly segment, Gandhi said Congress workers manually verified voter rolls and uncovered 1.5 lakh fake entries out of 6.5 lakh voters. He vowed to release concrete documentation in the coming days, calling it an “atom bomb” that would expose the scale of electoral fraud. Gandhi further alleged that the institution meant to uphold the Constitution—the Election Commission—had been “obliterated and taken over.”
Asserting he now had “100 percent proof,” he said even seasoned observers were shocked by the findings, adding that the opposition would continue to fight to restore democratic accountability.
My sister told me I was playing with fire, and I said I know I’m playing with fire, and I’ll continue to play with fire.
Eventually, like most of you, I am going to end up in the fire.
My family taught me not to be scared of cowards. The most cowardly thing you can ever do is… pic.twitter.com/pxS52CYvmV
— Congress (@INCIndia) August 2, 2025
Rahul Gandhi asserted that India’s electoral system is fundamentally broken, stating, “The truth is that the election system in India is already dead.” He argued that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were manipulated to secure a narrow victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gandhi emphasized that the Prime Minister holds office with a “very slim majority” and suggested that if 15 seats had been rigged, Modi would not have become Prime Minister. He further speculated that the actual number of rigged seats could be as high as 70–80 or even 100.
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Evidence of Electoral Malpractice
Gandhi claimed that the Congress party, through a six-month investigation, had uncovered “open-and-shut” proof of large-scale electoral fraud. He cited specific data from an Assembly constituency in Karnataka, where Congress physically verified voter lists and found that 1.5 lakh out of 6.5 lakh voters were “fake.” He described this evidence as an “atom bomb” that would send shockwaves through the electoral system when released. Gandhi promised that the Congress would present this evidence to the public in the coming days, asserting it would demonstrate “without any doubt how a Lok Sabha election can be rigged.”
Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the ECI, alleging that the institution, meant to protect the Constitution and ensure fair elections, “does not exist” and has been “obliterated and taken over.” He accused the ECI of enabling vote theft to favor the BJP, describing its actions as “no less than treason.” He claimed that the Congress had to conduct its own investigation because the ECI was uncooperative, and the evidence gathered would expose the commission’s complicity. Gandhi also referenced past interactions, alleging that former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had threatened him during protests against the now-repealed farm laws, indicating a pattern of institutional pressure.
Historical Suspicions of Electoral Irregularities
Gandhi stated that his suspicions about electoral malpractices dated back to 2014, when the Congress lost power at the national level. He pointed to the BJP’s “sweeping victories” in assembly elections in states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, where the Congress failed to win a single seat, as surprising and indicative of potential foul play. He specifically highlighted the Maharashtra Assembly elections of 2024, where the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, including Congress, was “obliterated” just months after performing strongly in the Lok Sabha elections. Gandhi noted that one crore new voters appeared in Maharashtra between the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections, with the majority allegedly voting for the BJP.
Maharashtra as a Case Study
Gandhi elaborated on the Maharashtra Assembly elections, where the BJP-led alliance won 235 out of 288 seats, while the MVA secured only 50. He alleged that the sudden addition of 4.1 million voters in Maharashtra between the Lok Sabha elections (May 2024) and the Assembly elections (November 2024)—compared to a 3.1 million increase over five years (2019–2024)—was statistically improbable and suggested manipulation. In the Kamthi constituency, he claimed the BJP’s vote tally surged by 56,000 votes, attributed to 35,000 newly registered voters, while Congress’s vote count remained stable.
Gandhi warned that those involved in electoral manipulation, including current and former ECI officials, would be held accountable. He stated, “We will find you,” emphasizing that the Congress’s evidence would expose the extent of the alleged fraud. He also rejected claims of being a “king” or seeking power, positioning himself as a defender of democratic principles against a system he believes is being undermined.
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Rahul Gandhi’s speech builds on earlier allegations he made in 2024 and 2025, including during the Maharashtra Assembly elections and a US visit in April 2025, where he accused the ECI of bias and voter list manipulation. His claims are part of a broader narrative by the Congress and other opposition parties, particularly the MVA, questioning the integrity of India’s electoral process under the BJP-led government. The opposition has cited changes to the ECI’s appointment process, where the Chief Justice of India was replaced by a Union Cabinet Minister in the selection committee, as evidence of reduced institutional neutrality.
Gandhi’s focus on Maharashtra stems from the stark contrast between the Lok Sabha and Assembly election outcomes in 2024. The INDIA alliance, including Congress, performed strongly in the Lok Sabha polls, but the BJP-led alliance dominated the subsequent Assembly elections, prompting suspicions of malpractice. The Congress has demanded access to voter lists and CCTV footage from polling stations to substantiate its claims, but the ECI has been reluctant to provide comprehensive data, further fueling the controversy.
Election Commission’s Response
The ECI has consistently dismissed Gandhi’s allegations as “baseless” and “irresponsible.” In a statement issued on August 1, 2025, the commission urged election officials to ignore such claims and emphasized that the voting process occurred transparently in the presence of polling agents from all parties. The ECI noted that Congress failed to raise substantiated concerns during the electoral process through official channels, such as scrutiny before Returning Officers or Election Observers. It also clarified that the Special Summary Revision (SSR) of voter rolls in Maharashtra saw minimal contestation, with only 89 appeals filed despite the presence of millions of Booth Level Agents.
In response to earlier allegations in June 2024, the ECI agreed to share Maharashtra and Haryana electoral rolls from 2009 to 2024 but faced criticism from Gandhi for not providing data in a digital, machine-readable format promptly. The commission has argued that its processes are fair and that allegations of manipulation lack evidence, accusing the opposition of eroding public trust in the electoral system.
