Fact-check busts Rahul Gandhi’s ‘H-Files’ narrative
Rahul Gandhi’s H-Files press conference made several serious allegations about voter fraud in Haryana, but fact-checks by multiple media outlets have exposed inaccuracies in several of his claims. Here are the major fact-checks according to recent media investigations and official response from the polling body.
Fact-Check on Rahul Gandhi’s Major Claims –
1. Brazilian Model Photo Allegation
Rahul Gandhi’s press conference presented the image of a Brazilian model as proof of duplicate or fake voters in Haryana. However, media investigations clarified that:
The name “Matheus Ferrero,” circulated by Congress supporters, referred to a photographer, not a model.
The woman in the image, Larissa, clarified her identity and stated she has no political connections.
The image is a generic, royalty-free photo available online and has been used in various contexts for several years even by multiple media outlets as a representative image for a woman.
The Booth Level Officer (BLO) for Rai constituency confirmed that she noticed this generic photo used incorrectly on three occasions. In all such cases, when voters provided their real photographs, corrections were made. Where the voters could not be contacted, the error persisted but the inaccuracy didn’t indicate fake voters automatically.
2. Voter Identity: Pinky and “Fake Voters” Claim
Rahul Gandhi accused that a woman named Pinky’s voter card used the Brazilian model’s photo.
India Today’s investigation found that Pinky did cast her vote in 2024 and denied any allegations of fraud. She stated her voter card initially had a misprint (someone from her village), reported and sought rectification, but she voted using valid ID. Her relatives also confirmed her participation and dismissed vote theft accusations as “propaganda”.
3. The “Munesh” Case
Gandhi claimed “Munesh” was a fabricated voter. Post-verification revealed Munesh exists; due to a photo misprint, the Brazilian model’s generic image was erroneously put on the list. Speaking with India Today, Munesh’s Brother-in-Law confirmed there was no vote theft.
4. Election Commission Response
The Election Commission officially dismissed the allegations. It clarified that there were no appeals or formal complaints filed regarding electoral roll irregularities.
In Haryana’s 90 assembly seats, only 22 petitions were pending in the High Court. The Chief Electoral Officer stated that all political parties, including Congress, received the updated voter lists at least one month before polls.
No fresh objections were registered regarding duplicate entries during that month-long window, contradicting Gandhi’s claim of being given the lists “at the last minute”.
5. Claims about “25 Lakh Stolen Votes” and Family Listings
Gandhi alleged mass vote theft (25 lakh), including specific reference to a house with “66” voters listed.
Investigations found that in Gurudana, house number 150, multiple relatives from an extended family across four generations reside, which explains the high number of entries and does not prove voter fraud.
6. Claims Regarding Sonipat Voter Anjali
Gandhi’s H-file conference showed a video of “Anjali” from Sonipat, claiming her vote was stolen.
Speaking with OpIndia’s Ground Reporter Keshav Malan, Anjali categorically denied Rahul Gandhi’s allegations. She asserted that her experience had been misrepresented and that her vote was “missed, not stolen.”
With less than 24 hours since the presser, most of Rahul Gandhi’s high-profile “H-Files” claims about widespread voter fraud in Haryana have been systematically debunked by factual investigations, ground reports, statements from people directly named, and clarifications from the Election Commission. Where confusion did occur (such as photo misprints), standard processes were followed for correction, and there is no evidence substantiating the claim of systematic voter theft.
