Banka (Bihar): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused several BJP leaders of voting both in Delhi and in the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections, alleging large-scale irregularities in the polling process.
Addressing an election rally in Banka district, Mr Gandhi claimed that the party had evidence of what he called “vote chori” (vote theft) and that the Election Commission must respond to these allegations. “BJP leaders, who had exercised their franchise in Delhi, also cast votes in Bihar. We have seen the same pattern before,” he said. The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha also linked his claims to earlier accusations concerning last year’s Haryana Assembly elections. “We have produced evidence of vote theft in Haryana polls. The Election Commission cannot deny it,” he added, reiterating that the Congress had found nearly 25 lakh fake entries in Haryana’s electoral rolls.
Mr Gandhi alleged that the BJP had “colluded with the Election Commission” to influence electoral outcomes and undermine democratic processes. The comments came amid a heated campaign in Bihar, where the first phase of voting recorded nearly 65 per cent turnout across 121 constituencies. The Congress, a key member of the opposition INDIA bloc, has focused its campaign on issues of unemployment, alleged corruption, and what it describes as “erosion of democratic institutions” under BJP rule.
Mr Gandhi’s remarks drew strong reactions from BJP leaders, who dismissed his claims as “baseless” and accused the Congress of attempting to discredit the electoral process. Election authorities have not yet issued a formal statement regarding the allegations.
The Bihar elections, being held in multiple phases, are seen as a key test for both the NDA government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the opposition alliance headed by Tejashwi Yadav. The next phase of polling is scheduled for 11 November.
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