BERLIN: Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged irregularities in India’s electoral process while addressing a lecture at the Hertie School in Berlin, Germany. He claimed there were serious issues with voter lists and questioned the fairness of recent Assembly elections.
Speaking on the topic “Politics Is the Art of Listening,” Rahul Gandhi said the Congress had raised concerns regarding the conduct of elections in Haryana and Maharashtra in 2024. He asserted that despite presenting evidence, the party did not receive satisfactory responses from the Election Commission of India.
“We have won elections in Telangana and Himachal Pradesh, but when it comes to Haryana and Maharashtra, we believe the elections were not fair,” Gandhi said.
He alleged the presence of duplicate entries in voter lists, citing an example where a foreign national’s name allegedly appeared multiple times in the Haryana voter list.
He further claimed that there was a systematic weakening of India’s institutional framework. According to him, central investigative agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) were being used selectively against opposition leaders.
Gandhi alleged that businessmen supporting opposition parties faced pressure, while those aligned with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) received protection. He said this created an uneven political playing field.
“There is a large-scale capture of institutions taking place. The BJP is using institutions to consolidate political power,” he said, adding that the Congress would work towards building a “system of resistance” to protect democratic institutions.
Rahul Gandhi is currently on a five-day visit to Germany. He has repeatedly accused the central government of manipulating voter lists and undermining electoral fairness, allegations that the government has denied.