Rahul Gandhi alleges rigging in Maharashtra Assembly elections, calls it a planned attack on democracy.
Maharashtra Poll Fixing: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has leveled serious allegations of rigging in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, terming it "match-fixing." He shared a detailed article on X, explaining step-by-step how the electoral process was allegedly manipulated to benefit the BJP. Rahul described this as a conspiracy against democracy and warned that similar tactics might be employed in Bihar and other states.
Rahul Gandhi's Allegation: 'Match-Fixing' in the Elections
Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP, has made serious allegations regarding the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections. He claimed that the electoral process was manipulated to bring the BJP to power. He shared a detailed article titled "How Elections Are Stolen?" on the social media platform X, outlining five stages of this alleged "match-fixing."
'Match-Fixing Maharashtra' Article Shared on X
Rahul Gandhi wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the Maharashtra Assembly elections were a planned scheme to weaken democracy. He asserted that this wouldn't be limited to Maharashtra but would be replicated in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections and all states where the BJP fears defeat.
He wrote in his article, "Even if a team wins by cheating, it harms both democracy and the people."
Alleged Five-Step Plan to 'Steal' the Election
Rahul Gandhi detailed five steps through which the alleged rigging in the Maharashtra elections took place:
Interference in the Election Commission's Appointment: In 2023, the government amended the law related to the Election Commission, changing the selection committee to include the Prime Minister, a Union Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition, removing the Chief Justice of India. Rahul termed this "tampering with the appointment of the umpire."
Adding Fake Names to the Voter List: He claimed that lakhs of fake names were added to the voter list, disenfranchising genuine voters.
Inflated Voter Turnout: Rahul alleged that the actual voter turnout in some areas was shown to be much higher than it actually was.
Fake Voting to Benefit the BJP: Allegedly, fake voting was carried out in areas where the BJP's position was weak.
Suppression of Evidence and Lack of Transparency: Rahul claimed that evidence of these irregularities was suppressed, and the electoral process was not transparent.
Lok Sabha vs. Assembly Election Results: Questioning the Contradiction
- The results of two different elections held recently in Maharashtra add weight to Rahul Gandhi's allegations.
- In the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena, and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) performed exceptionally well.
- However, the BJP secured a massive victory in the subsequent Assembly elections, surprising the opposition.
- Election analysts also conceded that such results were unexpected. Rahul attributes this contradiction to "match-fixing."
'Fixing' Now in Bihar?
Rahul Gandhi claimed that the BJP's sights are now set on the Bihar Assembly elections. He believes that what happened in Maharashtra will be repeated in Bihar. He warned that if such rigging is not stopped in time, it will become poison for democracy.
Why Was the Supreme Court Judge Removed?
Rahul Gandhi questioned the removal of the Chief Justice of India from the Election Commissioner's appointment process, replaced by a Union Minister. He called it an attack on impartiality and asked why the government wants to replace an impartial judge with its representative.
