Rahul Gandhi 'thanked' the Election Commission for a "unique experience" after he had tea Wednesday with 'dead' voters from Bihar - men and women who said they had been struck off the state's electoral roll after the controversial 'special intensive revision', of the voter list.
"I have had many interesting experiences... but never before have I had tea with 'dead people'. For this unique experience, thank you Election Commission!" he said on X.
Mr Gandhi shared a four-minute video interaction with the seven 'dead' voters, in which he asked them how they discovered the Election Commission had 'killed' them. One of the 'dead' said they found out only after the poll panel released a draft list of 65 lakh excluded names.
"But I am alive... I have come to declare I am not dead," he told Mr Gandhi, "And sir, in one panchayat, there are at least 50 others who are not 'dead'. The Congress leader was further told there were others, stuck in a similar circumstance, who had not yet reached the meeting.
जीवन में बहुत दिलचस्प अनुभव हुए हैं,
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 13, 2025
लेकिन कभी 'मृत लोगों' के साथ चाय पीने का मौका नहीं मिला था।
इस अनोखे अनुभव के लिए, धन्यवाद चुनाव आयोग! pic.twitter.com/Rh9izqIFsD
"They are from Raghopur (RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav's seat) ... there is a flood there," another man told Mr Gandhi, and then pointed to an 85-year-old who too had been declared 'dead'.
"They were removed despite having completed the paperwork for re-verification," a party worker who accompanied them explained, "They have not published names of people declared 'dead'."
"This is not a clerical error - it is political disenfranchisement in plain sight," the party said.
The frail and elderly woman - who sat quietly, 'dead' but not dead - was among several who spent hours at the Supreme Court and the voter list row hearing this morning.
Mr Gandhi assured all of them he would not allow 'vote chori', or the stealing of votes, which has become the opposition bloc's battle cry before the Bihar election and a Supreme Court case on the poll panel's 'special intensive revision', which could set major legal precedents before high voltage elections in Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Assam next year, and in Uttar Pradesh in 2027.
READ | "Abhi picture baaki hai": Rahul Gandhi's Teaser After Vote Row Protest
The Congress later named all seven 'dead' voters - Ramikbal Ray, Harendra Ray, Lalmuni Devi, Vachiya Devi, Lalwati Devi, Punam Kumari, and Munna Kumar, all of whom live in Raghopur.
Rahul Gandhi has been leading the charge against 'collusion' between the poll panel and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, The two, he has alleged, conspired to commit voter fraud in Karnataka and Maharashtra last year, and are trying to do the same for the Bihar election.
READ | "If You Attack Constitution...": Rahul Gandhi Targets Poll Panel, Again
The EC has rejected the claims and demanded Mr Gandhi, detained by Delhi Police Wednesday during a street protest on this issue, submit proof of his allegations, and a signed affidavit.
In a strong rebuttal Friday, it said the Congress was trying to "mislead" the people as they tried to mislead Supreme Court in 2018, referring to part veteran Kamal Nath's plea.
READ | "New Wine, Old Bottle": Poll Panel Jabs Rahul Gandhi In Voter Fraud Row
The BJP, meanwhile, has criticised Rahul Gandhi for "maligning a constitutional body".
READ | "Already Looking For Excuse": Amit Shah Mocks Rahul Gandhi In Bihar Voter Row
Home Minister Amit Shah mocked the Congress for expecting defeat in the Bihar election later this year and already looking for excuses. "You keep losing election after election... and now you are looking for an excuse for defeat even before this election," he declared in Bihar.
With input from agencies
NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
