Congress leader repeats ‘vote chori’ charge as Maharashtra results unfold
January 16, 2026: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Friday attacked the Election Commission amid the controversy over indelible ink, accusing the poll body of “gaslighting citizens” and claiming that public trust in democracy has eroded. His remarks came as counting was underway for Maharashtra civic body polls, where the BJP was projected to take a strong lead. Gandhi reiterated his “vote chori” allegation, calling electoral malpractice an “anti-national act”.
In a post on X, Gandhi referred to reports that marker pens were allegedly used to ink voters’ fingers during the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, leading to complaints that the ink marks faded easily. Opposition parties flagged the issue, prompting the Election Commission to announce a probe. However, Maharashtra State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare rejected the allegations, stating that marker pens have been in use in the state since 2011 and that the polling process was secure.
The BJP strongly hit back at Rahul Gandhi’s remarks, accusing him of attempting to undermine democratic institutions even before the final results were declared. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said Gandhi was discrediting the electoral process out of frustration and questioned the outcome of his past allegations of “vote chori” in other elections, asserting that such claims were meant to mislead the public.