The Congress party has launched serious allegations of electoral malpractice against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Election Commission of India, reviving its 'vote chori' claims following the party's dismal performance in the Bihar assembly elections.
Mass Voter Deletions Alleged
In a strongly worded statement posted on social media platform X, Congress accused the Election Commission of removing 69 lakh votes through the Special Summary Revision process in Bihar. The party claimed these deletions specifically targeted opposition voters, calling it a clear case of 'vote theft' orchestrated at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
The Congress further alleged that the electoral body failed to use appropriate software to detect duplicate entries in voter lists, resulting in approximately 14.35 lakh fake voters being added to Bihar's electoral rolls.
Duplicate Voting Charges
Making more serious accusations, Congress claimed that BJP workers and leaders participated in duplicate voting across state boundaries. According to the party, BJP supporters first cast their votes in elections held in Delhi, Uttarakhand, Bengaluru, and Haryana, then traveled to Bihar to vote again in the state assembly elections.
The opposition party stated that the BJP government at the Centre arranged special trains to transport these duplicate voters to Bihar. Congress shared images showing people wearing BJP sashes around their necks traveling in these special trains specifically to vote for the ruling party.
MP's Double Ink Mark Raises Questions
Congress highlighted a particular incident involving LJP (Ram Vilas) MP Shambhavi Chaudhary, who belongs to the NDA alliance. The party shared a video showing the MP with ink marks on both her fingers after voting, raising questions about possible multiple voting.
Additionally, Congress accused the Nitish Kumar government of violating the model code of conduct by continuing to distribute Rs 10,000 to women beneficiaries around voting days. The party claimed the Election Commission took no action against these transfers because they were complicit in the alleged 'vote theft'.
Election Results Context
These allegations come just one day after the Mahagathbandhan suffered a humiliating defeat in the Bihar assembly elections. The NDA alliance secured a landslide victory with 202 seats in the 243-member assembly.
The BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 constituencies, while Nitish Kumar's JD(U) won 85 seats. The opposition Mahagathbandhan managed to secure only 35 seats, with Congress putting up a particularly poor performance by winning just 6 seats and the RJD securing 25 constituencies.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly accused the Election Commission of India of colluding with the BJP to influence election outcomes. The latest allegations represent an escalation of these claims following the party's significant electoral setback in Bihar.
