For any political analyst or student, they cannot get better than this as the political temperature in India has soared. The “vote chori” (vote theft) battle has intensified, with Congress, the BJP, the DMK, and the Election Commission of India (ECI) locked in a war of words over alleged voter roll manipulation. Take a look at all the popular concerns which are getting attention all over.
Rahul Gandhi: ‘Institutionalised Chori’
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has led the charge, accusing the ECI of colluding with the BJP to rig elections through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Bihar and other states.
"We have caught their chori. SIR is institutionalised chori. The EC is openly colluding with the BJP. This is treason against the country," Gandhi declared, warning that the process targeted the poor and undermined the principle of “one man, one vote.”
He demanded the release of digital, machine-readable voter rolls for public auditing and called for transparency in postal ballot counting. Gandhi stressed,
"This fight is not political—it is for democracy, the constitution, and the right to vote."
Echoing Congress’s concerns, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader M.K. Stalin condemned the removal of 65 lakh voters in Bihar during the SIR.
"The ECI and BJP are distorting the level playing field. Voter deletions under SIR are anti-democratic and a threat to free and fair elections."
The BJP has strongly rejected the allegations, accusing the opposition of “manufacturing a crisis” to protect illegal voters. Union Minister Anurag Thakur blasted Gandhi,
"Rahul Gandhi and opposition leaders should apologise for baseless allegations that undermine democracy."
On Wednesday, the BJP launched a fresh counterattack, claiming former Congress president Sonia Gandhi was illegally, though briefly, added to the voter list 45 years ago—before she became an Indian citizen.
A senior BJP spokesperson said this showed Congress’s “long history of playing fast and loose with voter rolls.”
The ECI has categorically denied wrongdoing, calling the opposition’s charges “factually incorrect” and “misleading.” The commission stated,
"We have taken all possible measures to ensure transparency and integrity during the Bihar electoral roll revision," adding that most deletions were of deceased voters, duplicates, or those who had relocated.
The row has sparked protests by nearly 300 opposition MPs in Delhi, with some detained during demonstrations. With critical state polls ahead, “vote chori” has emerged as a defining flashpoint in the battle over India’s electoral integrity.