Minutes after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the Election Commission (EC) of colluding with the BJP in a “huge criminal fraud” during elections, former MP and AIMIM Maharashtra president Imtiaz Jaleel echoed similar concerns. Speaking from Aurangabad, Jaleel alleged that the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections were rigged in favor of the BJP.
Jaleel claimed that after 5 PM on polling day, several polling booths under BJP control saw a suspicious surge in voter turnout, with “totally unknown voters” participating. He also raised questions about the Chief Election Officer (CEO) of his constituency, who was appointed months after the elections as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the winning BJP candidate, now a minister. “This clearly raises questions about neutrality and fairness,” Jaleel said, demanding a formal inquiry into the appointment.
Jaleel narrowly lost from Aurangabad East to BJP’s Atul Moreshwar Save by 2,161 votes.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi intensified his accusations, alleging a “massive criminal fraud” in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, particularly in the Bangalore Central seat. Gandhi claimed that 1,00,250 fake votes were created to swing the result in favor of the BJP, which won by a margin of 32,707 votes.
At a press conference, Gandhi presented data alleging:
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11,965 duplicate voters
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40,009 voters with fake or unverifiable addresses
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10,452 voters listed as bulk voters under a single address
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4,132 entries with invalid photographs
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33,692 cases of misuse of Form 6 (new voter registration)
Gandhi highlighted examples where individuals appeared on multiple voter lists and voted multiple times across different booths and states. He also cited cases where commercial establishments and single-room houses had hundreds of registered voters, many of whom were untraceable.
Gandhi condemned the Election Commission for destroying evidence, withholding data, and allegedly colluding with the BJP. He called for judicial intervention, calling the situation a “crime against the Constitution and the Indian flag.” He warned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s narrow victory margin could be questioned if such rigging occurred on a wider scale.
In response, the Election Commission strongly denied the allegations, calling them “misleading” and “absurd,” and challenged Gandhi to submit a sworn declaration as per electoral rules to substantiate his claims. The Karnataka CEO’s office also invited Gandhi’s delegation to submit a memorandum addressing the issue.
Gandhi announced plans for a public march in Bangalore on August 9, 2025, to raise awareness about “Vote Chori” (vote theft), and criticized the ongoing electoral roll revision in Bihar as “another drama.”
