Rahul Gandhi says Indian democracy has collapsed, questions 2024 election results

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi alleged that Indian democracy was undermined after 2014 and questioned the legitimacy of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, claiming millions of voters were subsequently classified as non-existent or non-voters.

Hyderabad: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said democracy in India was undermined in 2014. He questioned the legitimacy of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, alleging that 140 million people who voted were later declared either non-existent or invalid voters.

“If 120 million voters, who supposedly voted in the 2024 elections, amount to nearly 13 per cent of Indian voters, and the Election Commission declared 140 million voters illegal or non-voters, how can that election be considered legitimate,” he asked at the concluding day of Bharat Summit.

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Citing Maharashtra as an example, Rahul Gandhi said the Congress contested the Lok Sabha election in an alliance and emerged victorious. However, three months later, the alliance suffered a massive defeat in the Assembly election.

“We cease to exist as a political formation,” he said.

The Congress MP said an examination of the figures showed that the alliance had secured exactly the same number of votes in both elections. However, seven million new voters were allegedly added within three months. Interestingly, all these seven million voters voted for the BJP, helping it win the election, he maintained.

“I can give such examples in state after state. I believe Indian democracy, given its size and complexity, is a global public good. It is important that India remains a democracy,” Rahul Gandhi said.

He alleged that India was no longer a democracy and that its democratic structure had collapsed. He also said the country’s economic model had failed and was no longer sustainable.

“The economic model that worked for us has failed. It no longer works and it will never work,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi said that when the economic model collapsed, massive amounts of money were printed and huge liquidity was created. He alleged that this devastated the political system. He also pointed out that a businessman who was ranked 600th among the world’s richest earlier had risen to become the second-richest person in the world.

“This was possible due to a fusion between politics and business. The line between Adani and Modi has evaporated. The outcome is clear in political finance, as the BJP’s assets grew 11-fold in a decade. Nobody can compete with them,” Rahul Gandhi said.

He said the Opposition was struggling to respond and lacked support because institutions had been taken away. However, he maintained that a direct connection with the people was more powerful than the authority claimed by those in power. “I have 45 cases against me,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi concluded by saying that truth, love and non-violence had worked for the Congress in the past and would help it defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “We are going to defeat Modi and get rid of him. I can tell you with confidence,” he said.