Rahul Gandhi alleges Maharashtra polls were rigged, BJP hits back with ‘Soros playbook’ charge

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has sparked a major political storm by alleging that the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections were rigged by the BJP. In a post titled ‘Match-Fixing Maharashtra’, Gandhi detailed what he called a five-step plan to "steal an election" and warned that the same tactics could be deployed in the upcoming Bihar elections.

According to Gandhi, the process began with changes to the selection panel for appointing Election Commissioners, which he claims tilted the balance of power toward the Centre. By replacing the Chief Justice with a Cabinet Minister in the panel, he argued that the government removed a neutral arbiter from a critical institution.

Further, Gandhi alleged manipulation of voter lists, a suspicious surge in turnout after polling closed, and targeted bogus voting in key constituencies. He termed the entire election a “blueprint for democracy theft.” The Congress leader said that the unexpected BJP sweep following the INDIA bloc’s Lok Sabha success in Maharashtra pointed to clear manipulation.

The BJP, in a sharp rebuttal, dismissed the allegations as a conspiracy theory. Its IT cell chief, Amit Malviya, accused Gandhi of undermining institutions deliberately and compared his strategy to that of billionaire George Soros — aimed at sowing distrust and destabilizing democratic systems. BJP said the Election Commission had already addressed Gandhi’s earlier concerns and accused Congress of crying foul only when it loses.