UP Congress chief alleges electoral malpractices in Varanasi LS polls

Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee President Ajay Rai, in a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleged massive electoral malpractice in the Varanasi Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

Addressing a press conference at his residential camp office in Lahurabir here on Sunday, Ajay Rai claimed that the BJP manipulated the electoral process using fake voting, tampered voter lists, and blatant misuse of government machinery to secure Modi’s victory.

Advertisement

“Modi ji did not win Varanasi, he was made to win through theft and dishonesty,” Rai said, accusing the saffron party of orchestrating what he called the “biggest fraud on democracy.”

Citing the evidence presented by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, he said that a “clear and concrete” proof has emerged of systematic voter fraud in Varanasi. According to him, fake names were deliberately added to the electoral rolls, and people from outside the state were brought in to vote.

He highlighted a specific case involving a person named “Vishal Singh”, whose name appeared in both Karnataka and Varanasi voter lists. He allegedly voted in the Cantonment Assembly segment at RSS-run Nivedita Shiksha Sadan Balika Inter College in Tulsi Pur. “There are lakhs of such fake voters, often RSS or BJP workers, who vote multiple times in different locations,” Rai alleged.

He further claimed that fake voter lists are prepared under the supervision of BJP and RSS workers, ensuring BJP’s victories by large margins. “If elections were conducted fairly, BJP would struggle to even win a municipal ward in Kashi,” he asserted.

Ajay Rai alleged that the entire election was rigged under the election commission’s watch. The commission, instead of acting on complaints, refused to share digital voter lists with the opposition. “Congress has been submitting solid data and evidence, yet the Commission demands affidavits instead of launching a proper investigation,” he added.

He questioned why no inquiry is being launched into such serious allegations despite central agencies like the ED and CBI frequently targeting opposition leaders.

Ajay Rai also posed eight questions to the Election Commission – why is the digital voter list being denied to the opposition, what is being hidden, why are CCTV footages and video evidence being deleted and on whose orders, why was there tampering of voter lists and fake voting, why are Opposition leaders being threatened and intimidated, has the election commission become an election agent for the BJP, why was data for Varanasi constituency blocked on the EC’s website during counting, why were opposition leaders detained on polling day and voters intimidated, why was vote counting deliberately slowed when Congress was leading?

Rai described the election in Varanasi as “not just fraud, but the biggest betrayal of the Constitution and democracy.” He claimed the entire government machinery, including several BJP chief ministers, governors, and Union Cabinet ministers, was deployed in Varanasi, with enormous funds for campaigning. “They were boasting of a 10-lakh vote margin, yet barely managed a narrow win of 1.5 lakh votes through deceit,” he said.

Rai warned that corrupt officials involved in the alleged rigging will not be spared and vowed to keep fighting for voters’ rights. “We thank the 4.6 lakh voters of Kashi who stood with Congress. We pledge to continue defending the Constitution and democracy,” he declared.

In a final message to the public, Ajay Rai said, “Vote theft is a direct attack on democracy and a deep conspiracy against the people of India. Stand up against vote theft, raise your voice for your voting rights.”