THE 2024 Haryana Assembly polls were “stolen”, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged on Wednesday, citing electoral roll data to claim that 25 lakh entries were fake and the Election Commission colluded with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to ensure its victory. The ‘centralised plan’ included a Brazilian model whose photograph was used 22 times in 10 booths in the Rai Assembly constituency using names such as “Seema, Sweety and Saraswati” for her, the former Congress President said at a press conference during which he put up a presentation “The H-files” to back his claim. The BJP dismissed the allegation of mass vote theft as “false and baseless” and accused the Congress leader of raising questions on Election Commission to hide his failures and defame the country’s democracy. If there is any irregularity with the voting, then one must flag it with the EC or approach the court, said BJP’s Kiren Rijiju. “But he never does it,” the Minister said.

 

Election Commission officials also trashed the allegation as unfounded, saying no appeals were filed against the electoral rolls in Haryana. According to Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini are “not legitimately in Government”. “The message is that the Gen Z and youth have the power to restore our democracy with satya and ahimsa. Peacefully, but by expressing their desire for a democratic India, by fighting for a democratic India and by resisting this wholesale theft of democracy and murder of the Constitution and democracy,” he said while addressing the media at Indira Bhavan. Training his guns on the Election Commission, Gandhi alleged that it “colluded” with the Prime Minister and the BJP to launch “Operation Sarkar Chori” to convert the Congress’ landslide victory in the State into a loss in 2024.

 

The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said he is questioning the Election Commission and the democratic process in the country and is doing so with 100 per cent proof. Gandhi alleged that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the two Election Commissioners colluded with the BJP to destroy democratic foundations and to ensure the ruling party’s victory in Haryana. Meanwhile, the poll body officials, reacting to Gandhi’s claim questioned why Congress’s booth agents did not flag voters who had cast multiple votes in the election in October 2024. “Why were no claims and objections raised by INC’s Booth-Level Agents during revision to avoid multiple names?” an official said, countering Gandhi’s allegation.

 

Booth-level agents, or BLAs, are appointed by political parties to flag irregularities, if any, in electoral rolls. EC officials underlined that “zero appeals” were filed against electoral rolls and only 22 election petitions were currently pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. As many as 23 election petitions were filed, and one was later withdrawn. Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju, in a press conference, accused Gandhi of “playing games” in collusion with “anti-India” forces to defame the country. He said Gandhi goes abroad during elections, does not meet people on the ground, and cries foul after his party loses. He derided him as someone who cannot work hard or live among the people. If there is any irregularity with the voting, then one must flag it with the EC or approach the court. “But he never does it,” he said about the Congress leader.