"Attempt To Mislead": Poll Body Fact-Checks Congress's 'Vote Theft' Video

The impasse between the Congress and the Election Commission over allegations of 'vote theft' deepened on Saturday with the poll body fact-checking a video posted by the party, alleging that it was AI-generated and an attempt to mislead the voters of Bihar. The electoral rolls in the state, it said, are being prepared with transparency. 

Echoing allegations made by Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, the video posted by the party handle on X on Saturday shows a woman saying votes had been "stolen" by declaring voters who were alive as dead, an old man stating that 80 fake voters were registered at his one-room house, and another man claiming voting rights had been stolen. These portions of the video carry an 'AI generated' disclaimer.

The video then goes on to call for the ouster of those who are involved in the "theft" of votes. In the text with the video, the party asks people to join 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' led by Mr Gandhi in Bihar from Sunday, which is being organised to protest 'vote theft' and alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in the state. 

❌This video is AI generated and not real

❌It is a clear attempt to mislead the people of Bihar #ECIFactCheck

✅Read in detail in the image attached 👇 https://t.co/S2t9mjHTFQ pic.twitter.com/ONMokbylwu

— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) August 16, 2025

Fact-checking the post hours later, the Election Commission said the video is AI-generated and a "clear attempt to mislead the voters of Bihar". The SIR in Bihar, it said, is being conducted with transparency and the involvement of all stakeholders. 

"Electoral Rolls for each Assembly Constituency of Bihar are being prepared as per law and with full transparency by the concerned SDM/ERO (sub-divisional magistrates/electoral registration officer), full participation of over 90,000 BLOs (booth level officers), and full participation of all electors of that Assembly Constituency," the EC said in the post. 

Emphasising that political parties have also been involved, it added that there is "full participation of more than 1.6 Lakh BLAs (booth level agents) appointed by all the 12 recognised political parties in Bihar, including the Indian National Congress".

Charges, Defence

In a presentation earlier this month, Mr Gandhi had accused the Election Commission of colluding with the BJP to carry out voter fraud and had shared details of an investigation carried out by the party in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment in Karnataka in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress and others have also said the names of people who are alive have been struck off the voter rolls during the Special Intensive Revision in Bihar.

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the EC to make the names of 65 lakh people taken off the rolls in Bihar public and list the reasons for doing so, including the 22 lakh people that the poll body has said are dead. The other reasons for exclusion stated by the poll body earlier are people who have either permanently shifted from Bihar or were not found, and people being enrolled as voters in multiple places.

The Election Commission has maintained that the SIR process in Bihar is being conducted to ensure that the voter rolls are correct and that "every eligible voter" will be included. 

On Mr Gandhi's allegations, the EC has also said he should present proof and avoid using phrases like "vote chori", which it called an "assault on the integrity" of poll officials.