**Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Vote Chori’ Campaign Divides Congress Leaders**
*By Snehil Singh | September 20, 2025, 3:41 PM*
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Election Commission of India (ECI) of electoral manipulation, promising to soon reveal “open-and-shut proof” of systematic vote theft. He claimed his party possesses a “hydrogen bomb” of evidence that will expose the malpractice.
When asked whether this evidence pertains to PM Modi’s Varanasi constituency, Gandhi left it ambiguous, saying it was “for others to guess.”
### Accusations Against the Election Commission
Gandhi has specifically accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar of shielding those involved in vote theft. He cited an ongoing CID investigation in Karnataka concerning the alleged deletion of over 6,000 names from electoral rolls as proof of incompetence or complicity on the part of the CEC.
He stated, “Gyanesh Kumar is the CEC that the Karnataka CID is asking for,” labeling it a major indictment of the Election Commission.
### BJP’s Response
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has rejected Gandhi’s allegations outright. Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad accused Rahul Gandhi of misleading the public and inciting unrest, particularly among young voters.
Prasad questioned, “What does Rahul Gandhi want to convey by such posts?” referring to Gandhi’s social media campaign urging youth to “save democracy” from vote theft.
### Mixed Reactions Within the Congress Party
The campaign has sparked mixed feelings among Congress leaders. While some praise Rahul Gandhi’s thorough preparation and bold stance, others express concern that such claims could delegitimize Indian democracy.
Senior Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi defended the strategy, emphasizing that the party is highlighting critical issues without falling into legal traps set by the BJP.
On the other hand, certain Congress insiders question whether focusing on alleged vote theft should be the party’s primary approach in the ongoing battle against the BJP.
### Internal Critique of the Campaign
Critics within Congress warn that the campaign risks backfiring. A former Congress Working Committee member warned that repeatedly alleging vote fraud might undermine public trust in the electoral system.
Another ex-Congress leader argued that the allegations could be seen as an attempt to cover up organizational neglect and internal decay within the party. According to this leader, if voter fraud was indeed occurring as claimed, it also reflected poorly on the party’s ground-level operations and local representatives.
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Rahul Gandhi’s ‘vote chori’ campaign continues to be a contentious subject, stirring debate not only between political rivals but also within the ranks of the Congress party itself.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/politics/rahul-gandhi-teases-hydrogen-bomb-evidence-evades-modi-seat-question/story