New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday launched a blistering attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging large-scale electoral fraud during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Addressing a press conference at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters, Congress communication department chairperson Pawan Khera claimed that the recent revelations by BJP MP Anurag Thakur have exposed a “criminal conspiracy” involving fake voters.
Khera further accused the ECI of enabling electoral fraud through multiple voter identities and fake voter lists, stating that “one face had many names, many addresses, and many votes.”
Khera referred to Thakur’s August 13 press conference, where the BJP leader presented data from six Lok Sabha constituencies — including Rae Bareli and Amethi— allegedly proving the presence of fake voters.
Khera sarcastically thanked Thakur for “proving the Congress right”, noting that while it took the Congress six months to gather paper data for just one Assembly segment (Mahadevapura), the BJP allegedly received electronic data for six entire Lok Sabha seats in just six days.
“If this is not collusion, then what is?” Khera asked. “We are demanding that Anurag Thakur hand over the same data to us. If fake voters determined the outcome of the 2024 elections, then why not that election must be declared null and void.”
He alleged irregularities in Varanasi — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency.
Khera claimed that if 93,000 fake votes were removed, Congress candidate Priyanka Gandhi would have won by over five lakh votes. He cited instances like the case of “Rajkamal Das” in Varanasi, who, as per voter records, had 45 children — calling it “a symbol of Modi’s victory model”.
Responding to questions about whether Congress MPs would resign in protest, Khera dismissed the idea. “Once the Lok Sabha is nullified, resignations are irrelevant. Ask them to dissolve Parliament.”
Khera also slammed the ECI for its alleged double standards, questioning why Rahul Gandhi was immediately served a notice after his press conference on August 7, while Anurag Thakur faced no such scrutiny despite revealing what Khera called “criminal evidence”.
He alleged that the ECI has been selectively aiding the ruling party, denying opposition access to electronic voter lists.
Refuting BJP claims about Sonia Gandhi’s name being added to voter lists in 1980, Khera pointed out that it was under a Janata Party government at the time.
“They dig up 45-year-old files but fail to answer today’s questions,” he said. Congress reiterated its demand for the complete nullification of the 2024 general election and a public release of all electronic voter lists, especially for Varanasi.
(IANS)
