Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai has made serious allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming that Modi’s 2019 Lok Sabha victory from Varanasi was achieved through vote manipulation. Speaking at a public meeting in Ballia on Monday, Rai alleged that the Election Commission of India’s official website went offline during the crucial hours of vote counting.

Rai stated that he was leading in the first seven rounds of counting in 2019, but the website became inaccessible between 1 PM and 5 PM. “How can a candidate who is leading for seven rounds suddenly lose? I’ve won five times as an MLA and I know how elections are fought. Modi became Prime Minister with stolen votes,” he claimed.

The Congress leader further criticized alleged voter suppression in Bihar, pointing to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. According to Rai, many poor and underprivileged voters were being systematically removed from the list, a move he says undermines democratic rights. He emphasized that the Congress party and the INDIA alliance are united in protest to protect democratic values.

Commenting on the renaming of Ghazipur, Rai accused the BJP of prioritizing symbolic politics over economic development. He argued that instead of establishing new industries, the BJP is focused on changing names of towns. Rai claimed that industries once established by Congress governments in Ballia and Ghazipur have been shut down during BJP rule.

Ajay Rai is no stranger to controversial statements. In May 2025, he called Rafale fighter jets “toys,” and in July he suggested that PM Modi might not contest from Varanasi in 2029.