New Delhi, November 5, 2025

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused authorities of large-scale voter fraud in last year’s Haryana Assembly elections, claiming that over 25 lakh votes, or one in eight voters, were fake. Speaking at a press conference, Gandhi said Congress candidates had noticed irregularities and that exit polls had predicted a Congress win, yet the BJP emerged victorious.

He cited examples from the voter list, including a Brazilian model’s photo appearing 22 times under different names, and another woman’s image appearing 223 times across polling booths. Gandhi alleged these duplications pointed to a centralised operation allowing votes to be manipulated, claiming that the Election Commission destroyed CCTV footage from booths to hide these irregularities. He said that 3.5 lakh voter entries were deleted ahead of the polls and accused the Election Commission of failing to act against duplicates, which he suggested favored the BJP.

Gandhi also noted that Congress narrowly lost eight constituencies by tiny margins, including one by just 32 votes, totalling 22,779 votes, which he said reflected how close the election had been.

BJP leaders rejected Gandhi’s allegations. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju called them “fake issues” and criticized Gandhi for raising Haryana concerns while elections are ongoing in Bihar. Rijiju defended the Election Commission and noted that differences between exit polls and election results are normal. He also accused Gandhi of trying to provoke youth and stressed that the BJP remains committed to fair democratic processes.

The controversy highlights continuing tension between the Congress and BJP over election transparency and voter list management, with both parties presenting conflicting narratives about the integrity of Haryana’s polls.

Rahul Gandhi Sounds Alarm on Haryana Polls; BJP Calls It “Fake Issue”

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has stirred political debate by alleging massive voter fraud in last year’s Haryana Assembly elections. He claimed that over 25 lakh votes, or about 12.5% of total voters, were fake and that the election outcome was manipulated to favour the BJP. Gandhi highlighted examples of duplicated voter IDs, including the photo of a Brazilian model appearing multiple times under different names and another woman’s image listed 223 times across polling booths. He suggested these irregularities were part of a centralised operation and questioned the Election Commission’s role, citing destruction of CCTV footage from polling booths.

Gandhi also pointed out that Congress lost several constituencies by very narrow margins, totaling just 22,779 votes, showing how close the race had been.

The BJP, however, rejected these allegations. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju described Gandhi’s claims as “fake issues” and questioned the timing, pointing out that polling is underway in Bihar. BJP leaders maintained that exit polls do not always match results and defended the Election Commission, asserting that no irregularities occurred that benefited their party.

This clash highlights the ongoing tension between opposition and ruling parties over election transparency and voter integrity, keeping the spotlight on Haryana’s electoral process.