EVM to Voter List: Opposition’s Big War on Election Commission—Real Concern or Political Drama?
A new political storm is brewing—this time over alleged “election theft.” The Opposition claims the BJP, with the Election Commission’s help, is manipulating voter lists to steal polls and hold onto power. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has gone on record accusing the ruling party of rigging elections through fake voters, but the controversy took an unexpected twist when a Karnataka Congress minister seemed to agree… and had to resign.
Row Over EC’s Impartiality
Opposition MPs are openly questioning whether elections in India are truly fair anymore. Rahul Gandhi recently alleged that during last year’s Lok Sabha polls in Bengaluru Central, over 1 lakh fake names were added to the voter list—allegedly helping the BJP win the seat. He called it “a theft of democracy,” and several opposition leaders backed him, framing it as a fight to “save India’s democracy.”
But then came the shocker—Karnataka’s own Cooperation Minister K. N. Rajanna said the Congress government in the state was responsible for those faulty voter lists because they were prepared under its watch. The backlash was swift. Senior party leaders were furious, and Rajanna was forced to resign.
Who Really Prepares the Voter List?
Technically, state governments don’t directly prepare voter lists. The Election Commission works with the state’s Chief Electoral Officer and district election officers—but the ground-level work is done by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), who are usually state government employees like teachers, panchayat secretaries, or patwaris.
Before finalizing the voter list, these officers verify identities, but any lapses or negligence in this process can allow fake or outdated names to remain. That’s why Rahul Gandhi’s charges could also raise questions about the Congress-led Karnataka government’s role, even if indirect.
Rajanna’s comments may have been politically damaging, but insiders say he had long been at odds with the party leadership and may have used the issue to apply pressure.
Opposition’s Street Protest Turns Chaotic
Today, Opposition MPs marched from Parliament to the Election Commission’s office, demanding action. Congress said Rahul Gandhi is ready to give the EC the same presentation he shared with the media on August 7. But Delhi Police stopped the march, saying no permission was taken. Opposition leaders argued they didn’t need approval for a peaceful protest.
Things got tense—SP chief Akhilesh Yadav even climbed barricades. TMC MP Mahua Moitra fainted, and MPs Mitali Bag and Sanjana Jatav also collapsed, reportedly due to the heat. They were rushed to the hospital. The Opposition accused police of mishandling the situation, but officials said the health issues were purely heat-related.
The EC had agreed to meet a delegation of 30 MPs, but over 300 lawmakers turned up, with some retreating to air-conditioned cars during the demonstration.
Parliamentary Disruption Costs Billions
Since 2014, 1,450 hours of Lok Sabha proceedings have been lost to protests, walkouts, and sloganeering—32% of total working time. This is 5% higher than under the UPA. The cost? A staggering ₹2,175 crore of taxpayer money.
The issues have shifted, too. First, it was EVM tampering—now it’s voter list fraud. In 2024, after the Opposition alleged EVM glitches in Maharashtra, the EC verified votes against VVPAT slips and found no mismatches. But the leaders who made those charges stayed silent on the findings. Now, the narrative is that the “real theft” happens through fake voters.
Rahul Gandhi’s Allegations—And the Gaps
Rahul alleges fake voters are strategically added in constituencies where the BJP is weak. These could be people with multiple voter IDs, wrong addresses, missing photos, or even identical photos on different cards.
However, these names being on the list doesn’t prove that all of them voted. Also, voter lists are public before elections, so why didn’t Congress challenge them earlier? And if such duplicates exist nationwide, could they also be in the 99 seats Congress won last year?
The truth is, India’s voter list has had issues for decades—from deceased voters’ names staying on to people being registered in multiple locations. The Election Commission relies heavily on BLOs for updates, and lapses happen. Even when serious clean-up drives are done, politics often overshadows the process.
EC Wants Proof Under Oath
Rahul Gandhi has now expanded his allegations to Maharashtra and Haryana, claiming their recent assembly election results were also “wrong.” But the state election bodies in these states have asked him to submit affidavits backing his claims—and so far, he hasn’t. That raises a question: if the charges are true, why not put them on record under oath?
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Thankyou so much