August 4, 2025
NEW DELHI – The Election Commission of India on Saturday refuted Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi’s charge that 2024 Lok Sabha elections were rigged, terming the allegations “misleading and baseless”.
In post on X, the ECI “fact-checked” the Congress leader, asserting that during the preparations of electoral rolls for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the draft and final electoral lists were shared with all political parties, including the Congress.
However, the ECI stated that hardly any appeal were filed across all 36 states and Union Territories by the Congress party.
The commision further informed that only 8 Election Petitions were filed by losing candidate of the Congress party under Section 80 of RP Act 1951.
The poll panel said that the allegations levelled by the Congress leader were “unsubstantiated and misleading”.
“It appears that these unfounded allegations are intended to discredit their impartial and transparent hard work, attempt to exert undue pressure on the election machinery, and even threaten them without even filing an appeal against electoral roll or even an EP against the conduct of elections as per law,” it added.
What did Rahul Gandhi claim?
Speaking at the Annual Legal Conclave 2025, Gandhi alleged that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were rigged and that his party has proof to substantiate these claims.
“We are going to prove to you in the coming few days how a Lok Sabha election can be rigged and was rigged,” he stated. The Congress leader equated the potential impact of this evidence to an “atom bomb” that would expose the Election Commission of India’s involvement in vote theft.
He said that it took his party six months to scrutinise the electoral rolls and find the “proof” of rigging.
“The election system in India is dead. Remember, the Prime Minister of India holds office with a very slim majority..if 15 seats were rigged, and we suspect the number to be much closer to 70 to 100. If 15 seats hadn’t been rigged, he wouldn’t be the Prime Minister of India. And we’ll prove to you that the Lok Sabha can be and was rigged,” he added.