Rahul Gandhi has raised serious concerns, alleging large-scale voter fraud in the Haryana assembly elections, claiming that about 25 lakh entries in the voter list were fake or manipulated. He cited examples such as multiple entries for the same individual, invalid voter addresses, and a case where the photo of a Brazilian model was allegedly used to cast votes 22 times at different polling booths. Gandhi also alleged a collusion between the Election Commission and the BJP to influence the election outcome, calling the elections “stolen.” These claims highlight the need for transparent voter list management and thorough electoral oversight to maintain democratic integrity.On the other hand, the Election Commission and BJP have denied these allegations, stating that no formal objections or appeals were raised during the electoral roll revision process by Congress-appointed Booth Level Agents, which questions the timing and handling of these claims.
The Election Commission describes the charges as baseless and points out that the number of legal challenges received is minimal, reflecting confidence in the electoral process. Haryana’s Chief Minister also dismissed the allegations as misleading, accusing Rahul Gandhi of politicizing the situation.A balanced view recognizes the right to question and ensure transparent elections while also acknowledging that claims of fraud must be supported by proper procedures and timely reporting during official processes.
Robust electoral safeguards and active participation by all political stakeholders in monitoring the voter rolls are essential to upholding democracy and public trust. It is important that such serious allegations be investigated impartially to reassure citizens about the fairness of elections.
