Priyanka Gandhi Urges EC Probe Into ‘Vote Chori’.
Priyanka Gandhi questioned why the Election Commission is not providing the voters’ list in a machine-readable format and why it has failed to investigate the alleged instances of “vote chori” in elections.
Priyanka Gandhi Slams EC, Demands Probe Into ‘Vote Chori’ Allegations
Allegations of electoral fraud raised by Rahul Gandhi. She urged the poll body to immediately investigate the claims rather than demanding affidavits and procedural paperwork from the opposition.
Speaking to reporters in the Parliament House complex, Priyanka Gandhi said the EC needed to “rethink its role” if it believed that its responsibility lay only toward the BJP.
Her remarks came a day after chief electoral officers of at least three states wrote to Rahul Gandhi, asking him to share the names of electors he claims were either wrongfully included in or excluded from the voter rolls. The officers also sought a signed declaration from him under the Conduct of Election Rules before they could initiate “necessary proceedings” in the matter.
The EC’s position was echoed by sources within the poll body, who said Rahul Gandhi must either provide a list of names along with a formal declaration or stop “misleading.
But Priyanka Gandhi dismissed the EC’s reasoning as evasive and unnecessary.
“Instead you are saying sign an affidavit. We have taken that oath. We are saying everything in public and are showing the evidence to you,” she said.
According to Priyanka Gandhi, the EC already has the evidence in front of it — evidence that was presented by Rahul Gandhi himself — and it is duty-bound to investigate before dismissing it.
“How can they say it is wrong unless they investigate it? There can be no matter bigger than this,” she added.
She also questioned why the Commission was avoiding an open dialogue.
They should put forward their stand and we will put forward ours,” she said.
Rahul Gandhi’s Explosive Allegations
The controversy began when Rahul Gandhi, during a press conference at the AICC headquarters in Indira Bhawan on Thursday, presented what he called “concrete evidence” of large-scale voter list manipulation in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura constituency.
According to him, the alleged “vote chori” involved as many as 1,00,250 votes. Breaking down the figures, he claimed:
- 11,965 duplicate voters were found in the constituency.
- 40,009 voters were listed with fake or invalid addresses.
- 10,452 bulk voters were registered under a single address.
- 4,132 voters had invalid photographs.
- 33,692 voters were allegedly misusing Form 6, which is used for adding new voters to the rolls.
Rahul Gandhi alleged that this was not an isolated incident but part of a larger pattern of electoral fraud aimed at manipulating election outcomes. He accused the EC of failing to uphold its constitutional duty to ensure free and fair elections.
The Congress leader also hit back at the EC’s demand for a signed declaration, saying his public statements should be treated as an oath.
“I have made these remarks openly. You can take it as an oath,” he said during the press conference.
Warning to Poll Officials
Rahul Gandhi did not stop at presenting evidence. In a stern warning, he said there would be consequences for every official found guilty of participating in or enabling electoral fraud.
“It doesn’t matter how senior or junior you are.
The warning has been seen by political observers as a sign that the Congress is preparing to make “vote chori” a key electoral issue, especially ahead of upcoming state polls and the next general election.
Congress Turns Up the Heat
Priyanka Gandhi’s intervention on Friday appeared to be part of a coordinated Congress strategy to keep the pressure on the Election Commission and force it into action. The party has been accusing the EC of bias for years, but the latest allegations — backed by data and presented in a public forum — have added fresh urgency to the charge.
Congress leaders believe that the EC’s insistence on a signed affidavit is an attempt to delay or dilute the investigation. By framing it as an issue of constitutional responsibility, Priyanka Gandhi has sought to put the Commission on the defensive.
Political analysts say the optics are important here. While the BJP has so far not directly responded to the detailed claims, the EC’s pushback has allowed the Congress to portray itself as a party fighting for the sanctity of the electoral process.
The Road Ahead
The immediate question now is whether the Election Commission will formally take up the investigation based on Rahul Gandhi’s data or continue to insist on procedural compliance before acting.
Priyanka Gandhi made it clear that the Congress will not back down. “The evidence is there. They have to investigate it.
For the Congress, the stakes are high — not only in terms of proving the “vote chori” allegations but also in shaping the public narrative that the ruling BJP is benefiting from a compromised electoral system.
If the EC does open a probe, it could set a precedent for how similar allegations are handled in the future. If it doesn’t, the Congress is likely to use the issue as ammunition in its campaign trail speeches, framing itself as the defender of democracy against institutional bias.
Either way, the battle over the Mahadevapura voter list — and the political firestorm it has triggered — is far from over.