Rahul Gandhi targets ECI top brass again, alleges large-scale 'vote theft' in Bihar Phase 1 polls

As voting for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections concluded on Thursday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched yet another scathing attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), directly naming its top officials — Gyanesh Kumar, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, and Vivek Joshi — accusing them of being complicit in what he termed the “theft of democracy.”

In post on social media platform X addressed to the “young and Gen Z citizens of India,” the Congress leader alleged that the Bihar polls were being marred by large-scale irregularities and voter suppression.

“These are the top officials of the Election Commission, but they are the ones playing the biggest prank with the Constitution and democracy. Those who were appointed as guardians of the right to vote, Have themselves become partners in the theft of your future,” read Gandhi's post.


The LoP in Lok Sabha further claimed that reports and videos emerging from across Bihar provided “a chain of evidence” of vote theft, alleging that after names of lakhs of voters had been deleted from electoral rolls through SIR, many people had been being prevented from casting their votes at polling stations, as well.

"Even before, the names of lakhs of voters had been removed from the lists; now, people are being prevented from voting at polling stations as well. Meanwhile, many BJP leaders and workers, who had voted in elections in other states, are also voting in Bihar today," Gandhi wrote.



Referring to his recent “Voter Rights Journey” in Bihar, the Congress leader said it was aimed at raising awareness about the alleged tampering of voter lists through the SIR process. He also linked the current developments in Bihar to what he described as “vote theft” in Haryana, asserting that “the will of an entire state was snatched away.”

“Remember, a government formed through vote theft never works in the interest of the youth, Gen Z, and the common people,” Gandhi said, urging young voters to recognize what he called “the murder of democracy.”

The first phase of polling in Bihar saw voting in several districts under tightened security, with polling hours curtailed in select areas due to security concerns.