AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj aligned himself with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s claims of widespread voter manipulation in the 2024 Haryana Assembly elections, arguing that electoral malpractice is deeply rooted in the BJP’s political approach. Bharadwaj asserted that the ruling party has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to interfere with democratic processes when given the opportunity, and he positioned the recent allegations in Haryana as part of a broader and recurring pattern. He referenced the events in Chandigarh’s mayoral election earlier this year as a concrete example, emphasizing that it illustrated the party’s capability and willingness to influence results by exploiting procedural loopholes and tampering with ballots.
In the Chandigarh case, Returning Officer Anil Masih had invalidated eight votes that shifted the result in favor of BJP candidate Manoj Kumar Sonkar. Bharadwaj recounted how the Supreme Court intervened, took the unusual step of physically verifying ballots, and later declared AAP candidate Kuldeep Kumar the legitimate winner. The Court determined that Masih had intentionally defaced ballots supporting the AAP, an act Bharadwaj described as deliberate misconduct and a telling demonstration of how electoral integrity was compromised. According to him, this episode serves as strong evidence that similar tactics could reasonably be expected elsewhere.
Bharadwaj used this incident to substantiate Rahul Gandhi’s accusations regarding Haryana, arguing that denying the possibility of BJP interference in the Election Commission’s functioning would be unrealistic. He accused the party of attempting to manipulate electronic voting machines and voter rolls whenever vulnerabilities exist, insisting that their conduct reflects a constant readiness to exploit electoral systems. In his view, claims dismissing such actions ignore a history of documented behavior and judicial findings that point toward a systemic method of electoral distortion.
Rahul Gandhi’s latest press conference intensified these allegations by presenting what he called “irrefutable proof” of large-scale voter fraud in Haryana. Gandhi asserted that approximately 25 lakh fake votes—equivalent to around 12 percent of the electorate—were introduced to overturn what he described as an expected Congress victory. According to him, detailed investigations conducted by his team uncovered over 5 lakh duplicate entries in the voter lists. Gandhi argued that such anomalies could not be accidental and described the situation as a calculated effort to transform a decisive electoral win into a loss through orchestrated manipulation.
He also showcased examples of alleged duplications, including repeated photographs of a Brazilian model appearing in the rolls under different names such as “Seema,” “Sweety,” and “Saraswati,” supposedly used to cast numerous votes. Gandhi highlighted instances in which BJP leaders or supporters appeared to have multiple voter registrations across different states, citing individuals in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh who were registered in more than one constituency. He pointed to properties where dozens or even hundreds of voters were listed under a single address, suggesting that these registrations were artificial and created to bolster turnout in targeted constituencies.
Further raising concerns, Gandhi criticized irregularities involving addresses listed as “House no. Zero,” originally meant to represent homeless citizens. He claimed physical verification showed that individuals supposedly listed under such addresses were actually residing in regular homes, implying that the classification was used to disguise fraudulent entries. Gandhi stated that these discrepancies demonstrated a coordinated effort involving both the BJP and the Election Commission, alleging that the poll body acted in alignment with the ruling party’s objectives instead of ensuring neutrality and transparency.
Gandhi argued that the crisis extended beyond Haryana and warned that similar strategies would be deployed in Bihar’s upcoming elections. He asserted that mass removal of valid voters and the last-minute release of electoral rolls constrained opposition parties' ability to challenge irregularities during verification stages. Gandhi framed his concerns as not merely political accusations but as a direct challenge to the functioning of India’s democratic structure, asserting that electoral manipulation threatens the foundational legitimacy of election outcomes across the country.
In response to these claims, Bharadwaj reaffirmed support for Gandhi’s position, stating that the incidents in Chandigarh demonstrated the credibility of concerns raised about Haryana. He argued that the BJP’s approach reflects a willingness to compromise electoral norms whenever advantageous, and he placed responsibility not only on political actors but also on supervisory institutions. According to Bharadwaj, the issue is not confined to isolated events but represents a consistent pattern requiring attention, scrutiny, and corrective action to preserve democratic processes.
