Rahul Gandhi has done it again. This time, he hasn’t attacked Modi over the Constitution, jobs, or prices. He has gone straight for the foundation of Indian democracy – the vote. His charge is explosive: the Election Commission and the BJP are working together to steal votes. Duplicate names. Fake voters. Missing voters. Institutions bowing to power. People have slowly started saying that, over the past 11 years under the Modi government, the
media has been “sold,” and big businessmen, especially the so-called “Gujju lobby” have taken over. In such a mood, any claim of election manipulation can catch fire.
Why This Narrative Can Spread Fast
Most ordinary voters don’t know the technical details of the voting process. Ask 10 normal people: “Do you know that the ‘house number’ in the voter list is the same for many people?” 8 out of 10 will have no idea. Ask them why polling station CCTV videos are deleted after 45 days, they won’t know. Ask them why the Election Commission refuses to share the digital voter roll, again, most will have no clue.
This lack of awareness actually works in favor of a political narrative. When people don’t fully understand the process, they’re more likely to believe something fishy is going on. The timing is also important. Right now, the Election Commission has been removing a large number of voters in Bihar, something Congress can easily frame as “proof” of manipulation. With state elections coming soon, such an allegation can travel fast from one
village to another.
Rahul Gandhi’s accusations may only be deeply understood by political observers,lawyers, and election experts but they don’t need to be fully understood by everyone. Even if the story spreads simply as, “BJP is cutting names and adding fake voters,” it creates doubt in the minds of common people.
BJP’s Defence Won’t Fully Work
Even if the BJP gives a logical, legal explanation, they won’t be able to convince everyone especially in states like Bihar. Out of 10 voters, maybe 3 or 4 will understand or accept the defence. The rest will either remain doubtful or start believing the Congress line. In politics, creating doubt is a win for the opposition.
Rahul Gandhi doesn’t need every single voter to understand the legal details. He only needs enough people to believe that the voting process is no longer fair.
In villages, tea shops, and WhatsApp groups, such stories often grow on their own. Since Rahul Gandhi’s press conference, the “vote chori” issue has dominated the media and local conversations, with Congress in full attacking mode and receiving a positive public response, demanding answers from the Election Commission. On the other side, the BJP is on the defensive even though Amit Shah’s Bihar visit failed to get this kind of traction. The BJP has tried hard to kill this narrative through TV and print media, but so far, it has failed while Congress is spreading its (alleged) narrative in the same way the BJP once did
against Congress.
If this “vote chori” charge gains traction during Rahul Gandhi’s Bihar Yatra across the scheduled 17 districts, the BJP will spend the rest of the campaign on the defensive and in politics, defending is always weaker than attacking.
Ravi Kumar is a political consultant and Socio-Political Writer. He comments on different contemporary political issues and writes about it as he has sound experience due to his prolonged work on the ground as persistent observer of the Democracy on field.