Cong launches campaign in Gurugram against BJP, alleges ‘vote theft’

Hundreds of residents joined Congress workers in Gurugram, signing the campaign petition across the Sohna, Badshahpur, and Pataudi constituencies.

The Congress on Sunday intensified its offensive against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by launching a district-wide signature campaign accusing the ruling party and the Election Commission (EC) of “stealing the people’s mandate”.

Party leaders announced that the drive will be expanded to other districts in the coming weeks. (HT Photo)

The drive, held under the slogan “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod” (vote thief, leave power), is part of the party’s nationwide protest following Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of large-scale voter list manipulation in several states, including Haryana.

Protests were also held in Sohna, Pataudi, Farrukhnagar, Tauru and Nuh, party leaders said. District president (rural) Vardhan Yadav said there was no turnout data for Gurugram but alleged that hundreds of fake votes were cast, including “74,000 fraudulent votes in Badshahpur alone.”

Hundreds of residents joined Congress workers in Gurugram, signing the campaign petition across the Sohna, Badshahpur, and Pataudi constituencies. Party leaders announced that the drive will be expanded to other districts in the coming weeks, with the issue of alleged “vote theft” likely to become a central flashpoint ahead of the next round of elections in Haryana.

At the Gurugram event, Yadav led the campaign alongside national secretary and Haryana in-charge Jitendra Bhagel, state working president Jitendra Bhardwaj, and urban district president Pankaj Dawar. The signature drive began from Sohna-Tauru and extended from the community centre to Ambedkar Chowk in Pataudi.

Addressing supporters, Yadav accused the BJP of “murdering democracy” through electoral fraud. “Rahul Gandhi has exposed how the BJP stole votes and subverted the Constitution. Whenever they are cornered, they attempt to distract the public with Hindu-Muslim rhetoric. But the people will not forgive this betrayal. Those who stole votes will be thrown out of power by the same people they deceived,” he said.

Bhagel alleged that “lakhs of genuine voters were deleted while fake names were added in bulk to benefit the BJP in Karnataka, Haryana, and Maharashtra.” He added, “The Election Commission remained a mute spectator. This is not just rigging—it is a direct assault on democracy itself.”

Bhardwaj described the campaign as part of a broader movement to “save democracy”. He urged workers to take the drive to “every village and ward” until public trust in elections was restored.

The BJP, however, dismissed the allegations as baseless and politically motivated. Senior party leader and cabinet minister Rao Narbir Singh said, “The Congress was trying to deflect attention from its declining support base. These are baseless allegations meant to mislead people. Congress has lost credibility with voters and is now making excuses. Elections in Haryana have always been conducted transparently under the Election Commission’s supervision. If Congress has evidence, let them present it in the proper forum instead of resorting to street politics.”