Rahul Gandhi claims massive voter fraud in Haryana, cites 'Brazilian model who voted 22 times'

In a blistering attack that reignited the debate over India’s electoral integrity, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on November 5 alleged large-scale voter fraud in the 2024 Haryana assembly elections, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of “systematic vote theft.”

At a packed press conference in Delhi, Gandhi claimed that nearly 25 lakh fake votes — about 12% of Haryana’s electorate — were cast in the polls, transforming what he called a “clear Congress victory” into defeat. “Haryana has 2 crore voters, and 25 lakh of them are fake. One in every eight voters in the state does not exist,” he declared.

The Congress leader presented what he described as “100% proof,” including alleged duplicate entries and fabricated voter identities. The most sensational example, he said, was that of a Brazilian model whose photograph appeared 22 times on the Haryana voter rolls under names such as Seema, Sweety, and Saraswati.

“This was a planned operation — a deliberate subversion of democracy,” Gandhi charged, accusing the BJP of orchestrating a coordinated manipulation of the electoral system. “All exit polls pointed to a Congress victory. For the first time in Haryana’s history, postal ballots did not match actual votes. A plan was put in motion to convert our landslide into a loss.”

He also took a veiled swipe at Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini, citing a post-election video clip: “Look at the smile on his face and the word ‘vyavastha’ (arrangement) he uses — that’s your proof right there,” Gandhi said.

EC rejects charge, says no major petitions filed

Sources within the Election Commission dismissed Gandhi’s claims as “baseless,” saying there had been no appeals filed against the state’s electoral rolls. Out of 90 assembly constituencies, only 22 election petitions were pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, officials noted — a sign, they said, of limited legal challenge to the poll results.

‘BJP infiltrators, double votes, and House No. Zero’

Expanding his allegations, Gandhi accused BJP workers and leaders of being registered as voters in both Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, citing multiple examples.

“A BJP leader living at house no.150 — the vice chairman of Palwal Zila Parishad — has 66 voters registered at his address. One man has 500 voters at his home,” Gandhi claimed. “Dalchand, a BJP leader, votes in both UP and Haryana. A BJP sarpanch in Mathura does the same. The number runs into thousands.”

He further alleged irregularities involving voters listed under “House No. Zero,” a category meant for the homeless. “We physically verified many of these names — people registered as homeless who actually live comfortably in their homes,” he said. “The Chief Election Commissioner is lying to India. This is not a clerical error — this is a conspiracy.”

‘Abki baar, Bihar?’

Warning that the alleged Haryana playbook could be replicated elsewhere, Gandhi said the same “sarkar chori” (stolen government) strategy would be deployed in Bihar, which goes to polls next.

“In Bihar, voters were deleted from the lists but found living at their addresses. We get the final rolls at the last minute, leaving no time to verify. This is not about one state — this is about the future of Indian democracy,” he said.

Despite the Election Commission’s rebuttal, Gandhi vowed to continue his campaign against what he called “institutionalized manipulation.” “This is not just about the Congress,” he said. “This is about the right of every Indian to cast a genuine vote — and to have that vote counted.”