Congress now alleges electoral irregularities in Rajasthan
The fresh allegations came days after the ECI called the Opposition’s “vote theft” charges during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections false and baseless
Congress leader Tikaram Jully on Wednesday alleged large-scale electoral irregularities in Rajasthan’s Tijara, Bhiwadi, and Alwar constituencies, claiming voting patterns showed clear signs of manipulation. He said they were gathering documents showing how voting percentages spiked abnormally after 5pm during the 2024 national and 2023 assembly polls. He said multiple voters were registered at the same addresses.
The fresh allegations came days after the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday called the Opposition’s “vote theft” charges during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and discrepancies in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral roll false and baseless.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is undertaking a 1,300-km Voter Adhikari Yatra in Bihar against the ECI and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s alleged “conspiracy” to steal the Bihar assembly polls.
Jully said outsiders managed to get their names added to the voter list in Bhiwadi and vote. “Whenever questions were raised [during elections], the same complaint came up...people were voting for one party but the vote was being recorded for the BJP symbol, the lotus. This was reported from many places.”
Jully said voters in a village in his constituency pressed the button for Congress, but the votes were recorded for the BJP. “...such fraud has taken place everywhere. In Lok Sabha and assembly elections, large-scale fraud took place in Tijara and Bhiwadi. In Alwar, too, due to mismanagement, rigging occurred. All of this needs to be investigated.”
{{/usCountry}}Jully said voters in a village in his constituency pressed the button for Congress, but the votes were recorded for the BJP. “...such fraud has taken place everywhere. In Lok Sabha and assembly elections, large-scale fraud took place in Tijara and Bhiwadi. In Alwar, too, due to mismanagement, rigging occurred. All of this needs to be investigated.”
{{/usCountry}}Jully said the ECI acted with haste in poll-bound Bihar and revised the entire voter list within a month, and removed 6.5 million names. He called it striking that not a single new name was added.
{{/usCountry}}Jully said the ECI acted with haste in poll-bound Bihar and revised the entire voter list within a month, and removed 6.5 million names. He called it striking that not a single new name was added.
{{/usCountry}}He said that if a special intensive revision of the electoral roll is also done in Rajasthan, it should be done properly. “People should be facilitated. We do not want fake voters to be added, but genuine votes should not be removed. There are still three years left for elections in Rajasthan, so it can be done smoothly. What happened in Bihar, where everything was done in one month, is wrong. And here too, people must not be harassed unnecessarily.”
{{/usCountry}}He said that if a special intensive revision of the electoral roll is also done in Rajasthan, it should be done properly. “People should be facilitated. We do not want fake voters to be added, but genuine votes should not be removed. There are still three years left for elections in Rajasthan, so it can be done smoothly. What happened in Bihar, where everything was done in one month, is wrong. And here too, people must not be harassed unnecessarily.”
{{/usCountry}}He asked why a poor person would be forced to submit 20 photocopies and lose daily wages to prove their right to vote. “The ECI must verify house-to-house and not trouble the common man.”
BJP spokesperson Laxmikant Bharadwaj said Congress has lost hope of winning elections through the people’s mandate. “Just to console their workers, they are spreading lies. The public will give them an apt reply.” He said the real problem was with the Congress leadership, which they cannot change. “Hence, they are only looking for excuses for their defeat.”
