‘Did Rahul and Sonia Gandhi win elections through vote chori’: BJP as poll process row intensifies

The stand-off between the Congress and the BJP over alleged irregularities in the election process intensified on Tuesday with the ruling party demanding that the opposition leaders clarify whether they won their own elections through “vote chori”.

Addressing the media, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra asked if the governments in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh were formed through the alleged vote theft.

“Have Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi become MPs through vote theft? They themselves are also MPs. If we became MPs through vote theft, did they also become MPs through vote theft? Were the governments in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh formed through vote theft?..." Patra said.

BJP accuses Congress of 'false allegations'

The BJP accused the Congress party, and the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, of levelling false allegations against the Election Commission of India and the process followed for Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

Patra said Gandhi’s accusations that the poll panel and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar were involved in “vote chori" and making "illegal and unilateral" changes to voter registration Form 6 are unfounded and an attempt to create “anarchy”.

“Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Supreme Court had declared Form 6 illegal and ruled that it was altered unilaterally to help the BJP. The Supreme Court never declared Form 6 illegal,” he said. The apex Court accepted a petition to review records to clarify who made the modifications," Patra said.

He also denied Gandhi's claims that the EC’s decision regarding the SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar was not unanimous.

“The ECI in its statement said clearly that the SIR order was a completely unanimous decision passed by all three Election Commissioners on June 24, 2025. The decision has been legally validated and upheld by a Supreme Court judgement on May 27, 2026,” he said.

On Monday, Rahul Gandhi alleged that CEC Gyanesh Kumar and everyone else involved in "criminal assault on democracy" will be held accountable, after the Supreme Court said it did not approve any modifications to Form 6 being used during the SIR.

In a post on X, Gandhi said it is now established beyond doubt that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar changed Form 6 "illegally and unilaterally", and asserted that the CEC, as well as everyone else involved in this "criminal assault on democracy", will be held accountable.

10 questions for Rahul Gandhi

The BJP, which has been accusing the Congress of trying to create distrust in public institutions and constitutional bodies, on Tuesday accused the grand old party of trying to create anarchy.

Patra said, “ I have 10 questions for Rahul Gandhi. He should tell us why. Is the Congress attempting to dismantle and insult democratic institutions like the ECI and the Supreme Court simply because they fail to win elections?”

Patra said both Gandhi and his mother, Sonia Gandhi, also contested and won the Lok Sabha elections, and if they accuse the poll panel of “vote chori”, they should explain their own victories.

He said the Congress should explain why it celebrates victories using the exact same electoral machinery, but cries “vote chori” when it loses. He said an attempt was made to create the impression that the names of 13 crore people were sought to be deleted through the SIR.

“I have just been shown that BJP-backed candidates have won in 11 Himachal district councils. This has just happened. The elections to these district councils, as I told you about the elections in Tripura, are conducted through ballot papers. Now, look at this: BJP-backed candidates have won in 11 Himachal district councils. How did this happen? These elections were held through ballot papers, right?..."

On the Opposition's rally against the poll panel irregularities, Patra said, “We believe that even today, the Congress party is going to attempt to create an atmosphere of anarchy in the country by using the Election Commission. We have been hearing about the so-called rally and march. Before their rally takes place, it is our responsibility as a political party to accurately place the issue before the people of the country and explain what is happening in the Election Commission and what is happening in the entire matter before the Supreme Court. For the past few days, misconceptions and fake news have been spread regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)..."