NEW DELHI: India’s opposition Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of planning “vote theft”, saying Home Minister Amit Shah operationalises the election manipulation and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar implements it.
Addressing a rally in Margao, in the southern state of Goa, Gandhi alleged that votes were being deleted from opposition supporters’ electoral records and added in favour of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He said the Congress would continue its campaign to expose “vote chori” (vote theft) by Modi in India.
“There is no confusion anymore. Gyanesh Kumar implements the vote chori, Amit Shah operationalises it, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi does the entire planning from behind the scenes,” Gandhi told the gathering.
‘वोट चोरों’ को माफ नहीं किया जाएगा https://t.co/PVlUO1ycF5
— Congress (@INCIndia) October 18, 2026
The allegations come amid growing opposition protests against the Election Commission’s revision of electoral rolls and demands for Kumar’s resignation.
Gandhi said Modi, Shah and Kumar would face justice over the alleged electoral malpractice.
“PM Modi, Amit Shah and CEC Gyanesh Kumar will face justice and pay the price for what they have done,” he said.
Truth Behind Modi and Amit Shah
The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament, said more than 45 defamation cases had been filed against him, including by people associated with Modi and Shah. He claimed, however, that no case had been brought against him for accusing the prime minister of vote theft.
मोदी सरकार की Expiry date आने वाली है https://t.co/e2WYtFYWvF
— Congress (@INCIndia) October 18, 2026
Gandhi argued that legal proceedings over the allegation would bring the issue into the open.
He alleged that electoral manipulation had taken place in Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Assam.
“Opposition votes are deleted and their own votes are increased. Voters are shifted from one district to another, from one state to another,” he said.
Gandhi urged Congress workers to remain vigilant during elections and document suspected irregularities. He described them as guardians of the Constitution and said the party had a responsibility to ensure accountability.
हम संविधान के रखवाले हैं और संविधान हमारा धर्म है।
‘वोट चोरी’ कर इन्होंने हमारे धर्म पर आक्रमण किया है।
नरेंद्र मोदी, अमित शाह और ज्ञानेश कुमार को इसकी कीमत चुकानी पड़ेगी- वे लोग कांग्रेस से बचने वाले नहीं हैं।
: नेता विपक्ष श्री @RahulGandhi
📍 गोवा https://t.co/2LZ4eKbwBM
— Congress (@INCIndia) October 18, 2026
He also claimed that the Congress had put the election chief and the ruling leadership under pressure through its campaign.
“The country’s soul has understood the truth behind Narendra Modi and Amit Shah,” Gandhi said, adding that their political dominance would not last indefinitely.
Protests Against Election Manipulation
Gandhi’s remarks came amid a wider campaign by opposition parties and activists against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Opposition leaders say the exercise risks removing eligible voters from electoral lists to benefit Modi’s BJP.
Last week, Gandhi and other opposition lawmakers were detained while attempting to march to the Election Commission’s headquarters in New Delhi.
Opposition leaders have also raised their concerns with President Droupadi Murmu and staged demonstrations directed at the Supreme Court.
The dispute has extended beyond India. Hundreds of Indian students and members of diaspora organisations gathered at Parliament Square in London on Saturday for a “Stop Vote Chori” protest demanding Kumar’s removal.
The demonstration was organised by the Indian Overseas Congress Youth wing, with support from UK-based student groups and other diaspora organisations.
Activist Dhruv Rathee, the keynote speaker, called for the election chief to be replaced through a process agreed upon by the government and the leader of the opposition.
The gathering featured slogans calling for an end to alleged vote theft and a reading of the preamble to India’s Constitution.
Youth Anger over Jobs and Governance
The electoral dispute has coincided with protests by young people over unemployment, education and limited economic opportunities.
In New Delhi, the youth-led Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has emerged as a prominent voice in demonstrations following controversy over remarks by India’s chief justice likening some unemployed young people to cockroaches. The movement adopted the term as its name.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke was released from detention on Saturday after being arrested during a police operation against protesters.
Two other senior leaders, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, remained in custody after their arrests earlier in the week.
Police had sealed off Central Park in the capital’s Connaught Place district ahead of demonstrations and deployed security personnel to prevent gatherings. Protesters later alleged that officers used force and detained demonstrators as the protest continued.
The group has said the arrests would not stop its campaign. Its supporters have used mobile phones and social media to circulate footage of demonstrations and police actions.
Unemployment has remained a central concern among young Indians. Research cited in the Azim Premji University’s State of Working India 2026 report found that unemployment among graduates aged 15 to 25 was nearly 40%, while about one in five graduates aged 25 to 29 remained jobless.
The protests have also drawn on public anger over examination paper leaks, education costs and inflation.
In May, unrest followed the government’s invalidation of examinations for admission to national medical colleges after test papers were leaked.
Modi came to power in 2014 promising to create millions of jobs annually. Opposition leaders and rights groups have since criticised his government over employment, political freedoms and pressure on journalists, civil society organisations and political opponents.
