‘2024 Lok Sabha Election was illegal; Modi would not have become PM without Gyanesh Kumar’: Rahul Gandhi

NEW DELHI: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has launched a strong attack on Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the Election Commission of large-scale electoral irregularities and demanding his resignation over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Addressing supporters at the INDIA bloc's 'Chalo Delhi' rally at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, November 1, Rahul Gandhi alleged that Gyanesh Kumar would eventually be removed from office and sent to jail over the alleged manipulation of electoral rolls. He also questioned the legitimacy of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, claiming that electoral fraud had taken place through electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter-list manipulation.

"This vote theft is not an ordinary act of stealing. It is the theft of every voice in India. It is an act of treason. Had Gyanesh Kumar not been there, Narendra Modi would not have become Prime Minister, and Amit Shah would not have become Home Minister. Votes were stolen in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as well. They were stolen through EVMs and manipulation of voter lists," Rahul Gandhi alleged. He further claimed that 15 per cent of voters had been excluded following the 2024 elections and that the difference between the INDIA bloc and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was only three percentage points. On this basis, he described the 2024 election as illegal, citing what he said were figures published by the Election Commission. However, these specific claims have not been independently established, and there is no judicial ruling declaring the 2024 Lok Sabha election illegal.

Rahul Gandhi also accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of controlling the country's institutions and warned that the opposition would not allow democratic institutions or the Constitution to be undermined. "We will not allow democracy to come to an end. We will not allow the Constitution to be destroyed. No matter how much money you have, you are not bigger than the Constitution. The Constitution is greater than you," he said, reiterating the INDIA bloc's commitment to protecting democratic rights and electoral integrity.

The national capital witnessed a massive mobilisation of opposition supporters as thousands gathered at Ramlila Maidan for the INDIA bloc's protest, demanding Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. Senior opposition leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, M. A. Baby, Tejashwi Yadav and V. D. Satheesan, participated in the demonstration. The rally was organised as part of the opposition's wider campaign against alleged voter-list manipulation and irregularities in the SIR exercise.

The Election Commission has rejected allegations of political bias in the electoral-roll revision process, maintaining that the exercise is intended to identify duplicate and ineligible entries. In a recent submission before the Supreme Court, the Commission also clarified that Form 6 had not been amended, explaining that the additional SIR declaration was a separate document. However, it acknowledged that the way the declaration was displayed online could create confusion and said the two documents had been separated from October 21. The controversy over the SIR process and the opposition's allegations of voter disenfranchisement continue to fuel a political confrontation over electoral transparency and the independence of India's election machinery.