P Chidambaram Backs 'Vote Theft' Charge, Slams Poll Body: 'Acting Like BJP Spokesperson'

Last Updated:August 11, 2025, 14:18 IST

The controversy erupted after Rahul Gandhi accused the ECI of facilitating electoral fraud to benefit the BJP

Congress leader P Chidambaram (Image: PTI)

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday amplified Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of large-scale voter list manipulation, urging the Election Commission to conduct a thorough probe into alleged electoral malpractices in Karnataka and other states.

Around 300 MPs from the INDIA bloc marched towards the Election Commission headquarters in Delhi, accusing the poll body of “vote chori" (vote theft) and colluding with the BJP to influence electoral outcomes.

This was among the first major joint protests by the opposition bloc outside Parliament since last year’s Lok Sabha election results.

“When this is a big issue in India and one by one other constituencies are being identified where there’s a surge in votes, Bengaluru Central is a classic example. What happened in Mahadevapura should be enquired into," Chidambaram told CNN-News18.

He stressed that the “multiple prima facie pieces of evidence" presented by Rahul Gandhi must be formally examined.

“To take an oath and file an affidavit—EC is not a court of law. The ECI is bound to consider the evidence Rahul Gandhi has presented and probe it," Chidambaram remarked, further alleging that “the ECI is more of a spokesperson of the BJP. Why is the BJP speaking for the ECI? They can speak for themselves."

The controversy erupted after Rahul Gandhi accused the ECI of facilitating electoral fraud to benefit the BJP.

Presenting data from Karnataka’s Mahadevapura assembly segment in Bengaluru Central, Gandhi alleged “bhayankar chori" (massive theft) of votes.

According to him, Congress’s internal review found that out of 6.5 lakh votes in the constituency, more than one lakh were fraudulent.

The breakdown included 11,965 duplicate voters, 40,009 with fake or invalid addresses, 10,452 “bulk voters" registered under the same address, and 4,132 with invalid photographs. Gandhi also claimed 33,692 voters had misused Form 6 meant for new registrations.

Chidambaram’s remarks are expected to intensify the political confrontation between the opposition bloc and the ruling BJP, while putting fresh pressure on the ECI to respond to allegations of electoral malpractice.

Location :

Delhi, India, India

First Published:

August 11, 2025, 14:18 IST

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