Rahul Gandhi Demands CEC Gyanesh Kumar's Resignation, Alleges "Vote Chori"; EC and BJP Reject Claims as Baseless

THE COMMONS VOICE  ·  NEW DELHI  ·  SEPTEMBER 25, 2026

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi escalated his long-running "vote chori" campaign on September 24, demanding the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar while alleging widespread rigging in recent Indian elections. The Election Commission and BJP have firmly rejected the claims.

What Gandhi Alleged

Gandhi said there was "100% certainty" that India's 2024 Lok Sabha elections and various state assembly elections were rigged, coining the phrase "from vote chori comes kanoon chori" (from vote theft comes law theft). He listed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, businessman Gautam Adani, and CEC Gyanesh Kumar as "Destroyers of Democracy," calling on Kumar to resign and "turn approver."

What Gandhi Says Is The Evidence

Gandhi's central claim rests on an Indian Express report indicating that two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, objected 14 times over 10 months to poll panel decisions on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, reportedly taken without their knowledge. Separately, he has pointed to alleged fraudulent vote deletions in Karnataka's Aland constituency and fraudulent additions in Maharashtra's Rajura constituency, demanding the EC share technical data with Karnataka's CID.

What The Election Commission Says

The EC has consistently rejected the allegations as "incorrect and baseless," stating "no deletion of any vote can be done online by any member of the public." It previously required Gandhi and Congress to file allegations under oath within seven days or have them deemed invalid; no such affidavit was filed.

What The BJP Says

Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad accused Gandhi of "distorting facts," noting Gandhi blamed Gyanesh Kumar for a 2023 election that predates his tenure as CEC. Maharashtra BJP called Gandhi the "badshah of vote theft" himself, citing a Karnataka High Court ruling that set aside a Congress-won seat over irregularities.

Where This Stands

This remains an actively contested political dispute with no independent, conclusive finding on either side as of publication. The Commons Voice will update this article as either side presents further evidence or response.