‘Completely misconceived’: Madras HC dismisses plea on Rahul Gandhi’s ‘vote chori’ charge; imposes Rs 1 lakh fine on petitioner

Rahul Gandhi

NEW DELHI: The Madras high court dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to clarify leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi’s “vote chori” (vote theft) allegations, terming the plea “completely misconceived.”“The petition is vague, devoid of material particulars, lacks substantive evidence, and founded solely on political claims and counter-claims. It could not be a ground to compel the ECI to issue clarifications,” the bench observed in its order on Tuesday, according to ANI.The court imposed a cost of Rs 1 lakh on the petitioner, to be paid to the Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority. It underlined that dismissal of the PIL should not be construed as its opinion on the allegations themselves, and said the poll panel remains free to take its own decisions in this matter.Rahul Gandhi vs Election CommissionOn August 7, Gandhi alleged at a press conference that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were “choreographed” by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to benefit the BJP, calling it the only party “immune to anti-incumbency.”Citing Congress’s “research” on voting in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura assembly segment, he alleged “vote chori” of 1,00,250 votes. The ECI dismissed the charge as “baseless” and asked Gandhi to either file a sworn declaration or apologise for his “absurd” remarks. The Raebareli MP refused, saying he had cited ECI’s own data, and had already taken oath to the Constitution as a parliamentarian. Addressing a rally in poll-bound Bihar’s Patna on September 1, he hinted at fresh disclosures, declaring he would drop a “hydrogen bomb” after the “atom bomb.”