July 11, 2025: Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of "poll theft" and said the poll body is acting as a “wing of the BJP” instead of doing its own job.
“I was in Bihar yesterday. Just like ‘chunav chori’ was done in Maharashtra, a similar attempt is being made in Bihar. At a Congress rally in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, Rahul asserted, "The EC is not doing its own job; it is working as a BJP wing." He claimed that during the transition between Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Maharashtra, one crore new voters were added.
“Nobody knows who these voters are or where they came from. We repeatedly requested the voter list and videography from the EC. But they refused,” Rahul said.
He alleged that the same strategy is now being repeated in the upcoming elections in Bihar.
“They are going to do the same ‘chori’ in Bihar election just like Maharashtra. I went to Bihar yesterday and with INDIA alliance leaders, I said that we will not let the EC and BJP do a ‘chori’ of Bihar polls,” he said.
In addition, Rahul stated that the tribals in Odisha, where the BJP is in power, are being forced from their lands while large corporations receive state funds. “In Odisha, the BJP is giving all your money to five-six big companies. I met farmers, women, and heard their issues. ‘Jal, Jungle, Aur Jameen’ belong to the tribals, and it will belong to them forever. Here, tribals are being thrown away from their land. Congress brought Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), Tribal bill, and we will implement these laws. Development cannot be done for 2-3 per cent people,” he said.
Rahul accused the BJP of siding with capitalists while he said that his party Congress stands with poor people, Dalits, tribals.