Congress Intensifies Campaign Against Alleged 'Vote Chori'

New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI) The Congress intensified its campaign against the alleged 'vote chori' (vote theft) by unveiling a new video showcasing how fake votes were being cast. Party Chief Mallikarjun Kharge urged citizens to raise their voices and protect constitutional institutions from the "clutches of the BJP." Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi shared the minute-long video stating, "The theft of your vote is the theft of your rights and identity." Kharge, tagging the video titled 'booth par vote chori,' emphasized, "Do not let your voting rights be taken away. Demand accountability! Protest against vote theft." He further appealed, "Liberate constitutional institutions from the BJP's control," addressing the public via X.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also shared the video on X, reiterating that "stealing your vote is stealing your rights and identity." She urged people to "save your voting rights and protest vote theft." The Congress' video dramatizes a family arriving at a polling booth only to find their votes already cast. It concludes with two individuals casting fake votes and giving a thumbs up to an officer labeled as 'election chori aayog.'

On Tuesday, the Congress described "vote chori" as a "do-or-die" issue, outlining a strategy to present its allegations to the public through diverse activities, such as the planned 'Loktantra bachao mashaal marches' on the evening of August 14. The party asserted that an increasing amount of "evidence" suggested the situation was not just theft but "dacoity." The statements followed a meeting led by Kharge with senior party officials, attended by figures like Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh, K C Venugopal, and others.

Post-meeting, Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar, in charge of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), described "vote chori" as a significant emerging issue. "Rahul Gandhi has presented truthfully, with evidence, how democracy is being undermined," Kumar explained. He outlined that the Congress is set to engage the public through three key programs. On August 14, the eve of Independence Day, 'Loktantra bachao mashaal marches' will occur at all district headquarters. Between August 22 and September 7, "vote chor, gaddi chhorh" (vote thieves, relinquish power) rallies are planned across state headquarters.

Further, a signature campaign from September 15 to October 15 will endeavor to protect voting rights and promote civic involvement, with the entire INDIA bloc unified behind this cause. Additionally, the Congress launched a web portal allowing individuals to demand accountability from the election panel against "vote chori" and promote the call for digital voter rolls. Gandhi encouraged public support by registering at votechori.in/ecdemand, providing options to download "vote chori proof," demand EC accountability, and report vote theft.

Accompanying the portal is Gandhi's video, where he reiterated accusations of a "huge criminal fraud" involving BJP-EC collusion, citing an analysis from a Karnataka constituency to support his assertions, calling it "a crime against the Constitution." Recently, opposition MPs, including Rahul Gandhi, Kharge, and others, protested the electoral roll revision in Bihar and alleged "vote chori." During the protest march from Parliament House to the Election Commission office, the MPs were stopped and briefly detained by police, causing a stir.

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