‘Vote theft’ claims of Congress false, Opposition trying to create doubts over electoral process, says A.P. Minister

Andhra Pradesh Minister of Health and BJP leader Satya Kumar Yadav on Monday (September 28, 2026) accused Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, and some newly formed political parties of spreading false claims of “vote theft” in connection with the revision of electoral rolls.Addressing the media at the BJP office in Vijayawada, Mr. Satya Kumar said that the Opposition was attempting to create doubts about the electoral process to gain political mileage and cover up its electoral setbacks. He said the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was not a new exercise and provided opportunities for verification and objections.“Deletion of votes is not an easy process,” he said, questioning the basis for allegations of “vote theft” without documentary evidence. Political parties could raise objections through prescribed mechanisms, including Form 7, if they had concerns about entries in the electoral rolls, he said.Referring to claims that 13 crore votes had been deleted, Mr. Satya Kumar said different categories of entries, including deaths, changes of address and duplicate entries, required verification before any conclusions were drawn. Eligible voters could enrol through Form 6, while the online registration process had made voter enrolment more transparent, he said.He also pointed to the presence of booth-level agents of political parties during elections and webcasting at polling stations as safeguards in the electoral process.Mr. Satya Kumar questioned why similar objections were not being raised in States where the Congress was in power. “Is it public support when they win elections and vote theft when the alliance wins?” he asked.He criticised Mr. Rahul Gandhi over allegations concerning the electoral process and stated that the Congress was unable to accept its electoral defeats.The Minister also criticised former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy over his comments on constitutional matters and urged eligible citizens to use prescribed procedures to register their names and raise objections regarding electoral rolls. Published - September 28, 2026 07:04 pm IST