EVM Controversy Deepens Amid Rahul Gandhi’s Fresh Attack

Since the 2024 general election in India, several political leaders from across the country have been pushing the blame on EVMs. The list includes the likes of YS Jagan, KTR, and others. More permanently, it is the opposition leader of Indian Parliament, Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the charge now.

In an explosive press conference that was held yesterday Rahul Gandhi dropped an “Atom Bomb” regarding the electoral process. He unconditionally said the election commission is at fault for the kind of mishaps that happened during the recent election.

Rahul Gandhi accused the EC of manipulating electoral rolls, specifically highlighting the Vote Chori campaign, which alleges voter fraud in the 2024 Indian general elections. This campaign claims that the BJP won 25 Lok Sabha seats with margins less than 33,000 votes, suggesting that small-scale voter manipulation could have significantly altered the election outcome.

This accusation from Rahul comes in the context of a polarized political environment in India, where the Congress party has been vocal about doubts in electoral processes, particularly after losing significant ground in previous elections.

The claim of voter manipulation is supported by specific instances, such as the Mahadevapura assembly segment in Bangalore Central, where irregularities were allegedly found. Rahul Gandhi even showcased the supporting documentation to show that a random name was entered in multiple voter lists across the Mahadevapura constituency in Bengaluru.

In response to this shocking allegation from Rahul Gandhi, the election commission issued a public communication.

It is understood that during a Press Conference held today, you had mentioned about the inclusion of ineligible electors and exclusion of eligible electors in the Electoral Rolls. You(Rahul) are kindly requested to sign and return the enclosed Declaration/Oath under Rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, along with the name(s) of such elector(s) so that necessary proceedings can be initiated, the statement from the EC read.

With the opposition leader himself carrying the narrative against EVM and calling for detailed investigation, it has to be seen where this issue would wind down in the future.