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Rahul Gandhi’s sharp “Vote Chori” charge as BMC counting begins has ignited a political storm, even as early trends show the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance pulling ahead in Mumbai’s high-stakes civic battle.
Rahul Gandhi has strongly criticised the Election Commission as Mahayuti takes commanding leads
New Delhi: As vote counting gathered momentum in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections on Friday, Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi issued a sharp reaction, alleging erosion of trust in India’s democratic institutions.
His remarks came amid early trends showing the BJP-Shiv Sena-led Mahayuti alliance leading across several municipal wards.
Taking to social media platform X, Gandhi accused the Election Commission of undermining public confidence.
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“Election commission gaslighting citizens is how trust has collapsed in our democracy. Vote Chori is an anti-national act,” he wrote, sparking a fresh political controversy at a crucial moment in the counting process.
According to preliminary data from the counting of postal ballots, the BJP–Shiv Sena Mahayuti alliance has taken an early lead in around 52 wards of the BMC. The BJP is reportedly ahead in 35 wards, while the Shiv Sena has leads in 17 wards. These trends have given the ruling alliance an early advantage in what is considered India’s richest municipal body.
Election commission gaslighting citizens is how trust has collapsed in our democracy.
Vote Chori is an anti-national act. pic.twitter.com/3FZKkDPwDg
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 16, 2026
On the other hand, the Shiv Sena (UBT), led by Uddhav Thackeray, is leading in 22 wards, while the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), headed by Raj Thackeray, is ahead in 8 wards. The Congress, meanwhile, has managed to secure early leads in only 4 wards. Official figures from the State Election Commission (SEC) and the BMC are still awaited.
The BMC elections, conducted after a gap of eight years, were marked by allegations of irregularities from the Shiv Sena (UBT)–MNS alliance. These claims were, however, strongly denied by the State Election Commission. Despite the controversy, the polls were completed on Thursday, paving the way for the formation of a new civic body in Mumbai.
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The SEC reported an overall voter turnout of 52.94 per cent. Out of a total electorate of 1,03,44,315 voters, 54,76,043 exercised their franchise. Among them were 29,23,433 men, 25,52,359 women, and 251 transgender voters across 277 wards.
The previous BMC elections were held in 2017, and the term of the last elected mayor, Kishori Pednekar, ended in March 2022. With the completion of counting, Mumbai is poised to get a new mayor after nearly four years. Exit polls have already projected a victory for the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance, with Congress and its allies expected to trail behind.
