AHMEDABAD: Gujarat Congress has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of widespread voter list manipulation in Navsari, the constituency of state BJP president and Union Minister C.R. Patil.
Party president Amit Chavda claimed that his team had found 30,000 fake voters in Navsari alone, warning that if the entire state were to be investigated, the number of bogus entries could rise to 62 lakh.
He linked these irregularities to the BJP’s “record-breaking victories,” calling it “nothing less than vote theft” and vowed to launch a statewide campaign to “save democracy.”
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Chavda stated, “We checked Navsari’s electoral rolls and found 30,000 fake voters. If this happens in one seat, what could be happening across Gujarat?” He further tied his claim to Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent Lok Sabha presentation, which had highlighted irregularities in electoral rolls nationwide.
“After Rahul Gandhi’s presentation, vote theft became a national issue. Today, Gujarat stands exposed,” Chavda said, sharpening the attack.
Chavda alleged that the scam went much deeper. “If 12.3 per cent bogus entries are detected in one constituency, imagine what the situation could be in the entire state. Gujarat has 5.06 crore voters. At least 62 lakh fake voters will come to light if we fully investigate,” he claimed, questioning Patil’s “record-breaking victories.”
The Congress chief outlined how this alleged manipulation takes place, citing issues such as duplicate voters, misspelt names, multiple EPIC card numbers, address changes, and even language alterations.
“One person, two votes, that’s how democracy is being strangled,” he charged, waving documents sourced directly from the Election Commission website.
Chavda didn’t stop at Navsari. He announced plans to extend the investigation to other constituencies, including the Chief Minister’s seat. “This conspiracy is not local; it’s statewide. We will expose the theft in every constituency,” he declared.
The Congress has turned this issue into a broader movement. From August 31, the party will hold a “vote rights public meeting” and begin door-to-door verification across Gujarat. “By 2027, no ghost voter will survive. Every Congress worker will check lists, flag fraud, and take the fight from the streets to Parliament,” Chavda pledged.
The party also accused the Election Commission of bowing to BJP pressure. “The Commission is asking for affidavits instead of acting on evidence. That’s not scrutiny, it’s a cover-up,” Chavda alleged, framing the issue as one that transcends party lines.
“This is not about winning elections, but about saving democracy. It is the duty of every Gujarati, every Indian, to expose this theft,” he said.
As the Congress gears up to mobilise its cadres, the allegations are likely to stir up a storm ahead of the 2027 elections. Linking the BJP’s “record-breaking wins” with “record-breaking theft,” Chavda concluded with a challenge: “If Gujarat wants to protect its democracy, it must first unmask these stolen votes.”