Rahul Gandhi's 'Vote Chori 3.0': Fact or fiction? | Talking Sense With Srini
The Federal’s Editor-in-Chief S Srinivasan described the scope of Rahul Gandhi’s claims as unprecedented
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has reignited political debate with his “Vote Chori 3.0” allegations, claiming massive voter fraud in last year’s Haryana Assembly elections.
Rahul said all exit polls had predicted a Congress victory, but the BJP ultimately won, alleging that as many as 25 lakh fake voters were listed in Haryana, with one individual’s photograph reportedly used 22 times.
‘Unprecedented claims’
Speaking on Talking Sense with Srini, The Federal’s Editor-in-Chief S Srinivasan described the scope of Rahul Gandhi’s claims as unprecedented.
“This is not limited to one or two constituencies,” Srinivasan said. “Rahul Gandhi is suggesting an industry-level manipulation across the entire Haryana election. He even hints that similar issues could have affected Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.”
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Srinivasan explained that while some anomalies in electoral rolls are inevitable, large-scale manipulation under normal procedures is highly unlikely.
“The voter ID enrollment process involves multiple layers of checks. What Rahul alleges is a centralised, potentially-automated system manipulating voter records,” he said.
‘EC’s response not substantive’
The Election Commission (EC) has questioned why the issue was not raised earlier, and Srinivasan noted that while the EC has the tools and independence to investigate, its response so far has been largely procedural rather than substantive.
“It’s in their mandate to ensure free and fair elections. They can investigate, but the current approach has been stonewalling,” he said.
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Talking about the political timing of Gandhi’s claims, ahead of Bihar elections.
“It’s a mixed bag. Politically, amplifying issues before elections is common, but the anomalies he points out cannot be dismissed outright,” Srinivasan said.
Broader implications
The broader implications are significant: electoral roll corrections and deletions can sway results in closely-contested constituencies. In Bihar, for example, 47 lakh voters were removed in a recent review — roughly 19,000 per assembly seat.
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While Rahul Gandhi has pursued the matter politically rather than legally, opposition parties in other states are taking note, intensifying scrutiny of voter registration ahead of upcoming elections.
“Whether Rahul Gandhi can sustain momentum and push this further remains to be seen,” Srinivasan concluded.
