Archive · 27 Aug 2026
Congress Websites Reportedly Redirected Youth to Betting Platforms
The Congress party created websites to involve young people in its political campaigns.
One site invited people to become Social Media Warriors.
Another site was connected to the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
The article says links on both sites now send visitors to online betting and casino websites.
These platforms advertise sports betting, casino games, and bonuses.
The article also says personal information collected through the first site was once publicly accessible.
Website ownership details for the betting domains were hidden.
Congress’s role in the redirects has not been explained in the report.
The Congress party’s 2021 Social Media Warrior website now reportedly redirects visitors to the YOLO 247 casino and betting platform.
The article says the Bharat Jodo Yatra website’s “Find My Photo” link redirects to Winexch, another betting and casino site.
Both gambling domains reportedly have private ownership details and were registered in July 2026, according to WHOIS records cited by OpIndia.
The Social Media Warrior website allegedly exposed applicants’ names, contact details, education information, and social-media profiles after its launch.
The article raises questions about website administration and Congress’s responsibility but reports no response from the party.
- Who
- The Congress party, its IT Cell, website administrators, and visitors to the campaign websites.
- What
- The article alleges that Congress-linked websites redirect users to the YOLO 247 and Winexch betting and casino platforms.
- When
- The Social Media Warrior website was launched in 2021; the Bharat Jodo Yatra began in September 2022; the cited domains were reportedly registered on July 1 and 2, 2026.
- Where
- On the Congress-linked websites incsmw.in and bharatjodoyatra.in, and on the linked domains thenascent.in and bjnyphotos.in.
- Why
- The reason for the redirects is not established; the article questions whether they resulted from website administration or oversight.
Reported Allegations
Unanswered Questions
Responsibility for redirects
Reported Allegations
OpIndia argues that redirects to betting platforms likely required administrative access or supervision of the campaign websites.
Unanswered Questions
The article reports no explanation or response from the Congress party, so responsibility for the redirects remains unestablished.
Use of political websites
Reported Allegations
The redirects are presented as potentially exposing young visitors to online gambling platforms after they reached Congress campaign sites.
Unanswered Questions
The report does not establish whether the redirects were intentional, caused by domain changes, or resulted from a third-party takeover.
Website security
Reported Allegations
A security researcher reportedly said personal information submitted by Social Media Warrior applicants could be downloaded by altering website queries.
Unanswered Questions
The article provides no reported response from Congress regarding the alleged exposure or the measures taken to protect the data.
- First campaign website
- incsmw.in was created to recruit Congress Social Media Warriors.
- Reported redirect
- The article says incsmw.in redirects to thenascent.in, identified as YOLO 247.
- Second campaign website
- bharatjodoyatra.in was associated with the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
- Second reported redirect
- The article says the “Find My Photo” link redirects to bjnyphotos.in, identified as Winexch.
- Data exposure
- The Social Media Warrior site allegedly exposed applicants’ names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, social-media profiles, and education details.
- YOLO 247 claims
- The platform advertises sports betting, more than 5,000 casino games, live-dealer tables, and a 500% first-deposit bonus.
- Winexch claims
- The platform advertises more than 1,000 sports and casino games, plus a welcome bonus of up to ₹20,000.