Rahul Gandhi Alleges “Industrial-Scale Rigging” in Maharashtra Polls, Outlines Five-Step Blueprint

Rahul Gandhi Alleges “Industrial-Scale Rigging” in Maharashtra Polls, Outlines Five-Step Blueprint

RMN News Story Highlights

• Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of orchestrating “match-fixing” and “industrial-scale rigging” in the November 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections.

• He detailed an alleged five-step blueprint for “rigging democracy,” including changes to the Election Commission appointment process and adding fake voters.

• Gandhi characterized these actions as involving the “capture of our national institutions”.

• The BJP termed the claims “disgraceful,” stating they were addressed by the Election Commission, which maintains its autonomy.

RMN News Political Desk
June 7, 2025

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has leveled serious accusations against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), describing their victory in the November 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections as a result of “match-fixing” and “industrial-scale rigging”. Mr. Gandhi detailed his claims in an op-ed, outlining a five-step model he alleges the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) used to “subvert the democratic process” in the state.

The Mahayuti alliance, led by the BJP of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, secured a decisive victory in the election, winning 235 out of 288 assembly seats, with the BJP achieving its best-ever performance in the state by winning 132 seats. In contrast, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition was reduced to just 50 seats.

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Mr. Gandhi’s alleged five-step model for rigging elections, which he described as a “blueprint for rigging democracy” in Maharashtra, includes:

1. Rig the panel for appointing the Election Commission: Mr. Gandhi’s primary contention involves changes made in 2023 to the Election Commissioners Appointment Act, which replaced the Chief Justice of India with a Union Minister on the selection committee. He argues this change unfairly tips the balance in favor of the executive and removes a neutral arbiter, a decision he stated “does not pass the smell test”.
2. Add fake voters to the roll: He claimed a significant and rapid increase in registered voters in Maharashtra ahead of the November assembly election. According to his figures, the voter count rose from 8.98 crore in the 2019 assembly elections to 9.29 crore by the 2024 Lok Sabha polls (an increase of 31 lakh over five years), but then reportedly jumped by an additional 41 lakh in just five months, reaching 9.70 crore.
3. Inflate voter turnout: In earlier remarks, Mr. Gandhi had cited “irregularities” in the Maharashtra elections, specifically claiming a “statistically impossible surge in voter turnout” during the final two hours of polling.
4. Target the bogus voting exactly where BJP needs to win: This step implies a strategic application of the alleged fake voters and inflated turnout in specific locations to ensure victory in targeted constituencies.
5. Hide the evidence: This final step is part of the alleged process to conceal the actions taken during the election.

In his tweet of June 7, 2025, Mr. Gandhi characterized these alleged actions not as minor issues but as “industrial-scale rigging involving the capture of our national institutions”. He warned that such practices resemble “match-fixing,” which, while potentially winning the game, “damages institutions and destroy public faith in the result”. He suggested this could be a blueprint for future elections in other states like Bihar.

While the Election Commission has maintained that its operations are “autonomous and adheres strictly to constitutional laws”, the BJP has strongly refuted Mr. Gandhi’s accusations, terming them “disgraceful”. The Election Commission attributed the increase to greater youth participation and specific enrollment campaigns.