Congress Rallies at Ramlila Maidan Alleging ‘Vote Theft’; BJP Hits Back

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Dec 14, 2025: The Congress on Sunday held a massive rally at Ramlila Maidan, stepping up its campaign against alleged “vote chori” and irregularities in the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, amid sharp exchanges with the government over electoral integrity.

Addressing the gathering, Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP and RSS of undermining democratic values. He alleged collusion between the BJP and the Election Commission of India, claiming electoral laws were amended to shield election officials from accountability. Gandhi cited alleged anomalies in voters’ lists, including duplicate and bogus entries, and termed “vote chori” a direct attack on the Constitution.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said elections were not being conducted fairly and expressed concern over the functioning of democratic institutions. She stressed that the right to vote was fundamental to the Constitution and urged party workers not to lose hope despite electoral setbacks.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the government of misleading Parliament and alleged that mandates in several states were secured through electoral manipulation. He said Rahul Gandhi had presented evidence on the issue in the House.

Senior leaders, including K C Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Sachin Pilot and Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, attended the rally. Venugopal said the party would submit a five-crore signature campaign to the President, alleging the absence of a “neutral umpire” in elections.

The BJP strongly criticised the rally. Party leaders Sudhanshu Trivedi and Sambit Patra accused Congress of spreading misinformation, promoting disorder, and selectively questioning election outcomes only where it lost. They said the issue of SIR had already been debated in Parliament and rejected Congress’s allegations as fabricated.

The rally marks an escalation in the political confrontation between the Congress and the BJP, with electoral processes and the independence of constitutional institutions emerging as key flashpoints.