Rahul Gandhi, a prominent opposition leader in India, has raised concerns about significant flaws in the country’s electoral system. He vowed to keep exposing these issues through public engagement and possibly legal action.
Gandhi, a key figure in the Congress party, recently accused election officials of tampering with voter lists by including fictitious names ahead of the 2024 general elections and other recent contests.
Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), underperforming in the national elections and needing coalition partners to form a government, it managed to secure victories in several state polls with relative ease.
Both the BJP and the Election Commission have rejected the allegations of election manipulation, which are uncommon in the world’s largest democracy, home to 1.42 billion people.
“There are serious inconsistencies in the election system, and we will continue to bring them to light,” Gandhi said, referencing research conducted by his party. Still, he emphasised the importance of maintaining public confidence in democratic processes.
“We do not intend to undermine India’s election procedures; therefore, we are proceeding cautiously and thoughtfully,” he added at his official residence in Delhi, where portraits of his late father and grandmother, both former prime ministers, are displayed.
Gandhi explained that their approach is centred on mobilising public support to challenge the Election Commission, with legal avenues as a possible next step.
He also expressed skepticism about the opposition’s chances of defeating Modi in the 2029 national elections if the voting process remains compromised. “If elections are rigged, no amount of grassroots campaigning will be effective. The game is fixed,” he remarked.
These statements come as the politically significant state of Bihar prepares for a tightly contested election by November. Currently governed by Modi’s coalition, the state is showing signs of shifting political winds, partly due to widespread unemployment, giving the opposition a growing advantage according to recent polls.
