GUWAHATI, Nov 6: Amid mounting political tensions over allegations of large-scale electoral fraud in the 2024 Haryana Assembly polls, Deputy Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha and newly appointed Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) chief, Gaurav Gogoi, has called for a “national movement” to demand an inquiry into the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Gogoi’s remarks came a day after senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Haryana elections were “stolen,” claiming that over 25 lakh fake entries were made in the electoral rolls. Gandhi further accused the Election Commission of colluding with the ruling BJP to secure its victory in the state.

In a post on social media, Gogoi said, “The inaction of the EC on ‘vote chori’ is akin to an admission of guilt and a feeble attempt to cover up this injustice against the people of India. There must be a national m ovement to demand an inquiry into the functioning of the Election Commission and reform of this important institution.”

Rahul Gandhi had earlier cited examples of alleged irregularities, including a claim that a Brazilian woman’s photograph was used 22 times under different names—such as Seema, Sweety, and Saraswati—across multiple polling booths in Haryana’s Rai constituency.

The BJP, however, dismissed the allegations as “false and baseless,” accusing Gandhi of attempting to malign the Election Commission and deflect attention from the Congress’s political failures.

The controversy has reignited debate over electoral transparency, with opposition parties calling for greater accountability from the Election Commission, while the ruling BJP maintains that India’s electoral process remains one of the most robust and credible in the world.