Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent remark about “223 identical entries” in a polling booth in Haryana has sparked widespread debate and drawn attention to a small village in the state — Dhakola, located in the Mulana Assembly segment. Interestingly, this is the same area where Congress witnessed a sharp rise in its vote share during the 2024 elections.
During a press interaction, Gandhi questioned the Election Commission’s handling of voter data, saying:
“The Election Commission needs to explain how this lady — whose name and age we don’t know — appears 223 times in two booths. In the Lok Sabha election, she appeared 223 times in one booth, and then they decided to split it into two booths.”
Booth Division and Voting Data
The booth in question is believed to be Booth No. 63 of Dhakola village. Ahead of the 2024 Assembly elections, it was divided into Booths 63 and 64, according to official polling station records. Earlier, Booth 63 covered Dhakola and Booth 64 covered nearby Rampur. For 2024, Rampur’s polling station numbers shifted to 65 and beyond, while Dhakola was split into two.
A review of election results from 2019 to 2024 shows a major swing in Dhakola’s voting pattern — clearly favouring Congress. From trailing the BJP in 2019, the Congress turned the tables in 2024, securing a comfortable lead in both Assembly and Lok Sabha polls.
Vote Comparison:
Year Election Type INC Votes BJP Votes
2019 Assembly 316 460
2019 Lok Sabha 315 355
2024 Assembly 602 275
2024 Lok Sabha 610 218
The numbers suggest that Dhakola voted decisively for Congress in 2024, while BJP’s vote count dropped almost by half.
Clerical Error, Not Fraud, Says BLO
An India Today investigation in the Mulana constituency revealed that the issue Rahul Gandhi mentioned stemmed from a photo misprint in the voter list. A Booth Level Officer (BLO) confirmed that a repeated image — reportedly that of a foreign model — appeared several times due to a technical error.
“When I was doing the survey, I noticed the same photo had been printed three times,” the BLO said. “I corrected those whose original photos were available, but where images were missing, the repeated one remained.”
This clarification indicates that the issue was clerical, not a case of fake voters or electoral manipulation.
Broader Concerns Over Electoral Data
While Gandhi’s claim sparked political reactions, the larger issue remains the accuracy of India’s electoral rolls.
Instances of photo mismatches, duplicate entries, and outdated voter details continue to challenge the Election Commission, especially in rural and semi-digitalized regions.
Experts point out that while the “223 identical entries” may not represent actual voter fraud, they highlight the urgent need for data accuracy and better verification systems to maintain public trust in the election process.
The Real Story from Dhakola
Far from being a booth of manipulated votes, Dhakola’s 2024 results reflect a clear political shift. The village that once leaned towards the BJP has now rallied behind Congress, signaling a change in ground sentiment across parts of Haryana.
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