Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has once again intensified his attack on the BJP, accusing the ruling party of manipulating elections and “stealing votes” to remain in power. His remarks came shortly after the BJP registered major victories in the West Bengal and Assam Assembly elections, results that have triggered strong reactions from opposition parties.
In a sharp social media post, Rahul Gandhi alleged that not only individual seats but sometimes even entire governments are formed through electoral malpractice. Referring specifically to Haryana, where the BJP retained power in 2024 despite strong expectations for the Congress, Gandhi described the state government as a “regime of infiltrators.”
“Seats are sometimes stolen through vote theft, and sometimes entire governments are stolen,” Gandhi wrote, renewing allegations he has repeatedly made against the BJP and the Election Commission in recent years.
The Congress leader claimed that a significant number of BJP MPs in the Lok Sabha had allegedly benefited from manipulated electoral processes. According to him, several BJP representatives entered Parliament not through genuine public support but due to irregularities in the voting system. He used the BJP’s own political language by calling such leaders “infiltrators.”
Rahul Gandhi also accused institutions connected to elections and voter management of functioning under the influence of the ruling party at the Centre. He alleged that agencies responsible for maintaining voter lists and conducting elections were being “remote controlled” by the BJP-led government.
The Congress MP argued that if elections were conducted in a completely fair and transparent manner, the BJP would struggle to secure even 140 Lok Sabha seats. He claimed that the ruling party depends heavily on manipulation rather than genuine public support to maintain political dominance.
His latest statements came in the backdrop of the BJP’s sweeping victories in West Bengal and Assam. In West Bengal, the BJP secured 207 seats in the 294-member Assembly, defeating the Trinamool Congress government led by Mamata Banerjee. The Congress managed to win only two seats in the state, while the TMC, despite being part of the INDIA alliance nationally, fought the election separately.
In Assam too, the BJP comfortably retained power with 82 seats, while the Congress won only 19 seats. Its ally Raijor Dal managed to secure just two seats.
Rahul Gandhi alleged that both Bengal and Assam elections were examples of elections being “stolen” with the support of the Election Commission. He claimed that over 100 seats in Bengal were manipulated in favour of the BJP and expressed support for Mamata Banerjee’s allegations regarding electoral irregularities.
The Congress leader also pointed to earlier elections in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Haryana, alleging similar patterns of manipulation. According to him, there has been a consistent attempt to influence electoral outcomes in favour of the BJP across multiple states.
The BJP, however, has strongly rejected these accusations and accused the Congress of refusing to accept democratic verdicts. BJP leaders argue that repeated allegations against constitutional institutions weaken public trust in democracy and reflect frustration over the Congress party’s declining electoral performance.
Political analysts believe Rahul Gandhi’s remarks indicate that the Congress is likely to make electoral transparency and alleged manipulation a major political issue in upcoming elections. At the same time, critics say the opposition has so far failed to provide concrete evidence supporting such large-scale allegations.
As political tensions continue to rise after the recent election results, the debate over electoral fairness, voter trust, and institutional neutrality is expected to remain at the centre of national politics in the coming months.
