'Vote-chori in 48 Lok Sabha seats': Rahul Gandhi tells Congress leaders - Report

NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday alleged “vote-chori” (vote theft) in 48 Lok Sabha constituencies, including Bengaluru Central, which he had previously flagged, news agency ANI reported. According to Congress sources, Gandhi told a meeting of senior party leaders chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge that these constituencies — where the party lost to the BJP by narrow margins — saw the same “module” of irregularities used in Bengaluru Central. “The party will share details about these seats in 7–8 phases,” the sources added.In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 240 seats — 63 fewer than in 2019 — while the Congress nearly doubled its tally, rising from 52 to 99 seats. Following the Maharashtra assembly elections, held just months after the Lok Sabha polls, Gandhi has repeatedly alleged a “fixed match” between the Election Commission and the ruling BJP. In the general elections, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance — which includes the Congress — had won more seats than the BJP-led Mahayuti in Maharashtra. However, the Mahayuti went on to sweep the state assembly polls.On August 7, Gandhi unveiled what he had been describing as an “atom bomb” of evidence against the Election Commission. Citing data from the Mahadevapura assembly segment, which falls under the Bengaluru Central parliamentary constituency in Congress-ruled Karnataka, he accused the poll body of “colluding” with the BJP. The Election Commission has firmly rejected the allegations and asked Gandhi to sign an affidavit to formalise his complaint. He has refused, saying he has already sworn an oath to the Constitution.