Rahul Gandhi Picks Stale Cacophony on EVMs and EC on Boston Summer Trip

New Delhi:  On his latest overseas outreach, Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi  has again made claims against India’s electoral process, accusing the Election Commission of being “compromised” and hinting at large-scale irregularities in the voter list during Maharashtra polls.

Speaking at an interaction with the Indian diaspora in Boston, the senior Congress MP claimed that 65 lakh voters were mysteriously added to the voter turnout figures in just two hours during the Maharashtra election, something he said was “physically impossible”.

“More people voted in Maharashtra than the total number of people in Maharashtra, and this is a fact... the Election Commission gave us a figure around 5:30 p.m., and by 7:30 p.m., 65 lakh voters had voted,” Rahul said during the event.

Continuing his criticism of the electoral machinery, he added, “It is very clear to us that the Election Commission is compromised. There is something very wrong with the system.”

BJP Calls Rahul Gandhi Anti-India

Reacting to the remarks, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari called Rahul Gandhi “anti-democracy” and accused him of undermining India’s institutions due to his inability to connect with Indian voters.

“Anti-Democracy, Anti-India Rahul Gandhi, who could not win the trust of the Indian electorate, begins to question the Indian democratic process on foreign soil,” Bhandari wrote on X.

He further alleged that Rahul Gandhi was acting as an agent of billionaire financier George Soros, who has been previously criticised by the BJP for funding activities the party claims are hostile to India.

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“Why does Rahul always defame India on foreign soil? An agent of George Soros who is fighting the Indian state – that's what Rahul Gandhi's intent today is,” Bhandari posted.

EC Call Claims Baseless

Responding to such allegations, official sources in the Election Commission rubbished the claims as misleading. They pointed out that during the Special Summary Revision (SSR) of the electoral rolls published in January 2025, there were hardly any objections or appeals filed under the Representation of People Act.

In fact, sources said that in Maharashtra, only 89 appeals were received for corrections, additions or deletions to the voter list – despite over 13.8 million Booth Level Agents (BLAs) being deployed across the country.

“If parties or candidates had real objections, they had the opportunity to raise them under Sections 22, 23 or 24. Hardly any objections were filed, so the electoral rolls published after the SSR are to be treated as accepted,” an EC source said.

The EC has reiterated that the SSR process includes thorough cleaning of voter lists – removal of duplicates, addition of new voters, and ensuring updated constituency-wise lists. They dismissed the Congress leader’s assertion of inflated voter turnout as “factually incorrect”.

Apart from targeting the EC, Rahul Gandhi also touched on foreign policy in his Boston address, expressing optimism about India’s ties with Washington.

“We have a partnership with the US, and hopefully we will continue to work together,” he said.

Thanking Congress supporters in the US, he added, “You believe, you listen to other people, and you respect them. This is what runs in the Congress party and in our family.”

The Congress MP is also scheduled to address Brown University on Monday as part of his US trip.