The Election Commission of India has corrected LoP Rahul Gandhi, just like it does every time the latter comes up with some ‘facts’. The latest incident by the esteemed Leader of Opposition has been raising an electoral incident, in an attempt to expose ‘Vote chori’ by BJP, ECI and all those who don’t let him win. The allegations raised were of widespread voter deletion in Karnataka’s Aland Assembly constituency in which Rahul Gandhi accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of shielding this alleged malpractice.
However, fact-checks by the ECI on X (formerly Twitter) dismissed these claims as baseless and without credible evidence. The commission clarified that such mass deletions cannot happen without due legal procedures and verification processes, thus undermining Gandhi’s narrative of “vote chori”.
The ‘Special’ Press Conference and Vote Chori Allegations
Rahul Gandhi had alleged about 2023 Karnataka state assembly elections regarding Aland constituency in the special press conference claiming widespread voter deletion in Karnataka’s Aland Assembly constituency, accusing the Election Commission of India (ECI) of shielding this alleged malpractice.
Election Commission of India must stop protecting Vote Chors.
They should release all incriminating evidence to Karnataka CID within 1 week. #VoteChoriFactory pic.twitter.com/Abiy1OHLQP
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 18, 2025
Irony: Congress Winning Aland
Adding to the irony, the Aland seat was won by Congress candidate Bhojaraj in the 2023 assembly elections. Rahul Gandhi’s narrative of electoral victimisation stands self-contradicted by this fact, raising serious questions about the purpose and credibility of his allegations. Instead of focusing on coming elections’ success and building voter confidence, Gandhi’s approach seems to confuse supporters and weakens the Congress position.
LIVE: Special Press Conference – Vote Chori Factory https://t.co/ne8cdFCnMs
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 18, 2025
However, fact-check by the ECI dismissed these claims as baseless and without credible evidence. The commission clarified that such mass deletions cannot happen without due legal procedures and verification processes, thus undermining Gandhi’s narrative of “vote chori”.
❌Allegations made by Shri Rahul Gandhi are incorrect and baseless.#ECIFactCheck
✅Read in detail in the image attached 👇 https://t.co/mhuUtciMTF pic.twitter.com/n30Jn6AeCr
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) September 18, 2025
Overlooking Local Concerns for Conspiracy Politics
The saga reflects a familiar trend whereby Rahul Gandhi brings up unverified and apparently not-enough-thought allegations of electoral rigging instead of pursuing central local concerns such as development, jobs, and good governance. By sticking to the narrative of “vote chori” script, he seems to have distracted the voter from actual issues confronting them, diluting the party’s credibility at grassroots levels and threatening to shrink its voter base.
A Politically Self-Destructive Strategy
The press conference has been denounced as politically self-destructive by BJP leaders and political analysts alike, who have labeled it as political noise. Not only does this strategy hurt the party’s credibility, but it also encourages opposing narratives that doubt Congress’s political maturity. A good opposition demands that one engage in issue-based politics and not conspiracy theories that are baseless.
Nutshell: The Need for Constructive Political Engagement
Rahul Gandhi’s “Aland files” episode seems to have ended up hurting the Congress party more than helping it, with the ECI’s fact-check exposing the hollow nature of his claims. For the party to regain ground, it must shift focus from speculative allegations and engage with voters on pressing challenges and loopholes in developmental and governance matters. Meaningful dialogue and constructive politics remain the only viable path forward for Congress.
