New Delhi: A fresh political row erupted on Friday after BJP leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad accused Congress MP Rahul Gandhi of spreading “lies” and making baseless allegations against the Election Commission of India (ECI). The remarks came a day after Gandhi alleged attempts to delete over 6,000 votes in Karnataka’s Aland constituency during the 2023 Assembly elections.

BJP counters Rahul Gandhi’s allegations

Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Prasad questioned Gandhi’s credibility and preparation before making public statements. “What has happened to Rahul Gandhi? How much will he lie? You are deceiving democracy. I have previously said that Rahul Gandhi never does his homework,” he said.

Prasad strongly objected to Gandhi’s targeting of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, pointing out that Kumar was appointed to the post only in February 2025, nearly two years after the Karnataka Assembly elections. “Yesterday, he showed the picture of Gyanesh Kumar and blamed him for the 2023 polls. This is misleading and irresponsible,” the BJP leader said.

Aland constituency controversy

Gandhi, in his press conference on Thursday, alleged that 6,018 votes were attempted to be deleted in Karnataka’s Aland constituency. He cited the case of a booth-level officer who reportedly discovered her uncle’s name missing from the rolls, which led to the detection of the irregularity.

However, Prasad retorted that Gandhi was undermining his own party’s victory by raising these claims. “Congress won the Aland seat in 2023 by 248 votes. Till 2018, BJP held the constituency, but in 2023, Congress secured it. By crying foul, Rahul Gandhi is putting his own candidate in jeopardy,” he said.

Election Commission’s stand

Reiterating the Election Commission’s rebuttal, Prasad said the alleged voter deletion had already been investigated. He noted that an FIR was filed in 2023 against those involved and that the probe was being conducted by the Karnataka Crime Investigation Department (CID), which functions under the state government led by the Congress party.

“From 2023, Congress has been in power in Karnataka. CID is under them. If anything went wrong, it is under their watch. Blaming the Election Commission and misleading the public is Rahul Gandhi’s habit,” Prasad asserted.

Kiren Rijiju alleges ‘echo of Pakistan narrative’

The controversy deepened as Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also lashed out at Gandhi, accusing him of echoing “Pakistan’s narrative.” Rijiju said Gandhi’s remarks often matched the rhetoric of anti-India groups across the border.

“Whatever narratives Pakistan creates, Rahul Gandhi and his company echo them in India. Over the years, we have found his statements being used by anti-India groups. This is a serious matter,” Rijiju told reporters in Delhi.

Rahul Gandhi’s allegations

At his press briefing, Gandhi said the irregularities were discovered by chance when a booth-level officer noticed her uncle’s name missing from the rolls. “When she checked, she realised her neighbour had deleted the vote. We don’t know the total number of votes deleted in the 2023 elections, but this case showed that at least 6,018 names were attempted to be removed,” Gandhi claimed.

Conclusion

The war of words between BJP and Congress has once again highlighted the tense political atmosphere surrounding electoral reforms and allegations of malpractice. While the BJP has dismissed Gandhi’s accusations as unfounded, the Congress is expected to push for accountability on voter roll integrity. With both parties trading sharp barbs, the debate over “vote theft” is likely to continue in the run-up to upcoming state and national elections.