Election system 'already dead' in country; 2024 LS poll was 'rigged': Rahul Gandhi

Addressing the inaugural function of the day-long legal conclave on the theme 'Constitutional Challenges: Perspectives and Pathways', he alleged that the prime minister is sitting on his chair with a 'thin majority' and had there been a difference of a few seats, he would have not been there.

New Delhi: Stepping up his attack on the Election Commission, top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday claimed that the 2024 Lok Sabha election was “rigged” with 70-100 seats suspected to have witnessed organised malpractices. He also alleged the electoral system is “already dead”.

Addressing the inaugural session of the Congress Legal Cell's conclave on 'Constitutional Challenges: Perspectives and Pathways', Rahul said he had suspicion about “something wrong” with the election process even before 2014 in Gujarat Assembly elections but had no proof till now.

However, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said the Congress now has “100 per cent proof” about electoral malpractices, when revealed would be like dropping an “atom bomb”. He said Congress has “such proof” that will show that the Election Commission “does not exist” and has “disappeared”.

“The election system in India is already dead...The Prime Minister of India is the Prime Minister of India with a very slim majority. If 10-15 seats were rigged, and we suspect that actually the number is much closer to 70-80-100, he would not have been the Prime Minister,” Rahul said.

“We are going to prove to you, without any doubt, in the coming few days, how a Lok Sabha election can be rigged and (it) was rigged. It is very clear the institution that protects this (Constitution), that holds this, that defends this, has been obliterated and taken over,” he said.

Rahul said it has taken six months of “non-stop work” to find proof and found out that of the 6.5 lakh voters, 1.5 lakh voters turned out to be fake after comparing photographs and names. He was apparently referring to the analysis of voting in an Assembly seat in Karnataka during Lok Sabha polls.

“I always had a suspicion that there was something wrong, right from 2014 that I had suspicion, that something does not add up. In fact, I will go further. I had a suspicion in the Gujarat Assembly elections already...You will see the shockwave going through the electoral system when we release the data. It is literally like an atom bomb,” he said.

He said they started to “look seriously” at the issue after Maharashtra elections when three “formidable” parties Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) “just evaporated” after the Assembly polls, months after winning Lok Sabha elections in the state.

He said the fight is not an easy one and referred to the Rafale deal. "The document said clearly, black and white, that the Prime Minister's Office and the NSA have interfered in the Rafale deal and damaged the Rafale deal. This document itself would have brought down any government in any country of the world.

"Nothing happened. You know where the document went. You know where the document died...nothing happened. I am fighting 30 cases. Anyone who fights the regime, any political person, anybody who works in the NGO, civil society knows, the moment you oppose, you will be attacked," he said.

Recalling a conversation he had with his sister and MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, he said she told him that he was playing with fire and he responded that he will continue to do so as he is not scared of playing with fire.

"Like most of you, I am going to end up in fire. So what is the problem with playing with fire? My family has taught me that don’t be scared of cowards. The most cowardly thing you can do ever is be scared of a coward. Someday my sister will also give an open hearted speech and tell you the extent to which the ruling ideology is based in cowardice. This is the difference between us (and them)," he added.