A national debate has been ignited after allegations by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi that over one lakh fake votes had been recorded in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Questions have been raised as to what might happen if such irregularities were found across all constituencies, especially in the context of restricted public access to polling-related evidence.
The Chori Votes
According to Gandhi’s presentation, a six-month internal probe had been carried out by the Congress party, during which voter list anomalies were detected. Duplicate entries, false addresses, mass registrations from single locations, and improper use of Form 6 for first-time voters had been alleged. In Mahadevapura alone, 11,965 duplicate voters, 40,009 with invalid addresses, 10,452 from the same address, 4,132 with missing or unclear photographs, and 33,692 questionable first-time registrations were reportedly found.
A small residence in Mahadevapura was cited as an example, where 80 registered voters had been listed despite the premises being suitable for only a single family. Current occupants reportedly had no knowledge of most names recorded at the address.
CCTV footage destroy
Fears have been expressed that, if similar patterns were replicated nationwide, the legitimacy of electoral outcomes could be placed in doubt. Concerns have been intensified by the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) rule preventing public access to polling station CCTV footage after 45 days from the polling date. It has been observed that such footage is not retained in a manner accessible to citizens beyond this period, and electronic voter data has not been made available digitally in a comprehensive public database.
In the aftermath of these revelations, a complaint was filed by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, in which a full audit and release of relevant election material was demanded. The CPI(ML) requested that the Supreme Court take suo motu action to address the matter.
The ECI, in its response, rejected the charges as “false” and “absurd.” It was insisted by the Commission that either a signed declaration substantiating the claims be provided by Rahul Gandhi or a public apology be issued. BJP leaders described the allegations as politically motivated, with counterclaims that similar voter list issues could be identified in Congress-held constituencies.
The broader implications of these accusations have been noted by political observers. It has been suggested that, in the absence of transparent and timely access to election records, public trust in the democratic process could be eroded. Without digital archiving of electoral rolls, polling station videos, and verification records, it has been argued that citizens may find it difficult to independently verify the legitimacy of results.
Rahul Gandhi has stated that the outcome in Bangalore Central would have been reversed had the disputed votes been removed, estimating that Congress would have led by over 82,000 votes. The episode has been framed by him as not merely a local issue, but as a warning of what could occur on a national scale if safeguards are not strengthened and electoral transparency is not ensured.
