In his press conference on 5 November 2025, Rahul Gandhi made a slew of sweeping claims alleging large-scale electoral fraud in the Haryana Assembly polls – including apparently lakhs of fake voters, duplicate voters using the photo of a so-called Brazilian model, and collusion between the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to subvert democracy.
A careful examination of his claims and the available counter-evidence raises serious questions about their validity and motivation.
Claim: ‘Entire state elections were stolen’ – A manufactured myth
Rahul Gandhi claimed the entire Haryana election was “stolen,” even citing a supposed “old lady” whose name appeared 220 times in the voter list.
Fact: The voter list he flaunted was from Mulana Assembly Constituency, which was won by the Indian National Congress itself. If his claims were true, why would the alleged fraud benefit Congress? His statement collapses under its own contradiction.
‘Exit Polls went upside down’ – But they always have
He argued that deviations between exit polls and results indicate fraud.
Fact: Exit polls are surveys, not evidence. Congress itself has dismissed them in 2014, 2019 and 2024 when they favoured the BJP. In 2018 Madhya Pradesh, exit polls predicted a BJP edge – Congress still formed the government. So why believe them now? Selective outrage is not proof.
‘We were leading on Ballot papers’ – A deliberate distortion
Rahul Gandhi lamented that Congress led in postal ballots but lost in final results.
Fact: Postal ballots in Haryana accounted for just 0.57 % of total votes. For Rahul, 0.57% apparently outweighs the will of 99.43% of voters. Ironically, in 2015 Bihar, the BJP was ahead in early postal counts, yet the Mahagathbandhan won. Hypocrisy meets amnesia.
Twisting CM Nayab Singh Saini’s ‘vyavastha’ remark
Gandhi misused a trimmed clip from 2024 to allege the CM admitted to “vote chori.”
Fact: The full video shows Saini responding to a question on post-poll alliances, not rigging. His use of “vyavastha” referred to coalition arithmetic, not manipulation. Ironically, Rahul Gandhi has made “source-based” predictions of PM Modi losing Varanasi, twice, and failed both times.
‘We lost by 22,779 votes in 8 seats’ – Convenient half-truth
He highlighted close margins to suggest foul play.
Fact: In Haryana’s 10 closest constituencies, Congress won 6, BJP 3. So by his logic, did the BJP become a victim in those 3?
In Madhya Pradesh 2018, BJP had a higher vote share (41%) than Congress (40.9%) yet lost seven seats by <1,000 votes each. Did Rahul cry “vote chori” then? No – he became Chief Minister-maker.
‘A lady voted 22 times’ – Clickbait without evidence
Rahul paraded a so-called Brazilian model’s stock photo, alleging multiple votes under aliases. Fact: Duplicate names in electoral rolls occur due to migration, clerical errors, or un-updated records – not conspiracies.
Congress’s booth agents, present at every polling station, filed no official complaints. The ECI maintains CCTV footage for 45 days – Gandhi cried foul months later without ever filing a case.
‘25 Lakh votes were fake’ – The biggest lie yet
Gandhi’s “1 in 8 voters fake” theory is mathematically and procedurally impossible.
The Election Commission conducted a special roll revision in August 2024, verified 4.16 lakh claims & objections, and shared final rolls publicly.
87,000 polling agents from all parties monitored voting, and only 5 complaints surfaced – none from Congress.
This is not whistle-blowing; it’s whining after losing. If Rahul had evidence, why didn’t Congress approach the Supreme Court?
The Gen-Z manipulation game
“I want Gen-Z to take this seriously…” – Rahul’s emotional appeal exposes his real script.
After the violent youth-led protests in Nepal and Bangladesh, he suddenly pivoted to “Gen-Z” in speeches, framing them as victims of India’s democracy.
This isn’t concern; it’s a calculated attempt to sow distrust among first-time voters who may not yet grasp how the Election Commission works.
The same leader who failed to inspire his own party now wants to ignite disillusionment among India’s youth. But today’s Gen-Z is smarter – they demand data, not drama.
From “Rafale scam” to “Chowkidar Chor Hai,” every allegation Rahul Gandhi has hurled has collapsed under fact-checking. The “Vote Chori” saga is no different – a media stunt aimed at salvaging relevance before the Bihar polls.
A leader who’s lost 100 elections now accuses the world of stealing them all. But India’s democracy, built on transparent systems and vigilant citizens, is far stronger than his conspiracy theories.
India’s youth deserve truth, not tantrums.
