Congress leader claims 25 lakh fake votes in Haryana polls, sparking showdown with Election Commission and BJP

New Delhi, November 6, 2025, Thursday

In a blistering press conference at his party headquarters, Rahul Gandhi ramped up the pressure on the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing them of orchestrating large-scale electoral manipulation in the 2024 Haryana assembly elections. He claimed approximately 25 lakh entries—roughly 12.5 per cent of the state’s electorate of two crore—consisted of fake or duplicate voters, and that these anomalies cost the Indian National Congress key seats and undermined democratic integrity.

Five-point claims and evidentiary presentation

Gandhi laid out what he described as five key methodologies of alleged manipulation in Haryana:

1. Use of fake photographs on voter rolls (including a widely-circulated image of a Brazilian model allegedly found multiple times under different names).
2. Inclusion of non-resident voters or voters with addresses in other states registering in Haryana polls.
3. Blurred or invalid photograph entries, or voters listed with nonexistent house numbers (such as “0”).
4. Removal or deletion of legitimate voter names, leading to disenfranchisement of genuine electors. D
5. Suspicious patterns in postal ballots and booth-level data, which Gandhi claims point to bulk or orchestrated voting.

He asserted these findings amount to an engineered “stolen state” scenario, contending that the Congress had been projected to win according to exit polls but was denied victory through manipulation.

Election Commission hits back

Unsurprisingly, the ECI did not remain silent. Officials responded that the Congress party filed zero objections during the revision of voter rolls in Haryana — an argument meant to undermine Gandhi’s claims of systemic manipulation.

A letter from the Chief Electoral Officer has also been publicly reposted, instructing Gandhi to submit his specific allegations under oath as per Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 — basically asking him to formally swear to his claims with evidence.

Political fallout & state reaction

At the state level, Nayab Singh Saini, Chief Minister of Haryana, sharply dismissed Gandhi’s claims as “lies”, accusing him of misleading the public and lacking any concrete proof linking the alleged fake voters to a specific outcome or candidate.

Meanwhile, in Haryana’s Jind district, the Congress organised a candle-march protest, rejecting the legitimacy of the state government and raising slogans of “vote thieves” and “murder of democracy.”

Stakes for election integrity

The allegations carry significance beyond just one state. They strike at the heart of democratic process and electoral confidence in India. If the claims—“fake voters in Haryana elections”—hold water, they undermine the ECI’s credibility, raise questions about roll-revision integrity and, importantly, fuel a narrative that electoral defeat might not always reflect voter choice but structural manipulation. Such narratives are dangerous in democratic systems, because they can delegitimise outcomes even without proof. Analysts caution that while anomalies in voter lists are not new in India, systematic proof of mass fraud large enough to shift results is difficult to establish.

On the other hand, if the evidence is weak or unsubstantiated, such allegations risk being dismissed as political theatre, and could erode the opposition’s credibility more than the ruling party’s. The ball now lies in whether Gandhi and Congress will file formal petitions, provide documented signed affidavits and proceed through judicial processes—something the ECI is actively demanding.

What happens next?

The next phase will likely include:

• Gandhi’s team submitting signed declarations under oath to the ECI detailing names, polling stations and alleged fake-voter entries.
• Possible election petitions filed in the Haryana High Court challenging specific seats or entire result sets, depending on gravity of evidence.
• A closer forensic inspection of voter-roll data, digital photographs, duplication rates and postal ballot records.
• A political battle heating up ahead of other state polls, with this issue being used as a rallying cry by Congress and a defensive shield by BJP/ECI.

Why this matters

Electoral rolls and their integrity are the backbone of any democracy. If significant numbers of non-eligible voters infiltrate the system, not only do results possibly get skewed, but voter confidence in the system takes a hit. The phrase “fake voters in Haryana elections” now enters public discourse — if left unaddressed, it threatens more than just one election; it threatens how citizens perceive fairness and legitimacy of governance.

For the Congress, this is a last-ditch effort to challenge the narrative that its losses are purely due to political weakness or strategy. They are now shifting the terrain to systemic manipulation. For the BJP and the ECI, refuting this in solid terms is critical — letting the allegation stand unanswered would represent a reputational blow.

In any case, expect this to be a recurring theme in media, courtroom filings and campaign speeches. The key question remains: will concrete, verified evidence emerge that can withstand judicial scrutiny — or will this accusations-storm fade into typical election-cycle noise? The answer will shape not just the future of Haryana politics, but the credibility of India’s electoral institutions at large.

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