Congress and other opposition parties are accusing the Election Commission of facilitating "vote theft" across the country. In the middle of this storm, a video of BJP MP Janardan Mishra from Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, has gone viral on social media.
Speaking at a workers' event in Mauganj, Mishra targeted Congress, recalling an incident from years ago. He said Rewa was the "biggest example" of vote rigging in the country, alleging that during Congress rule, a single house was found to have 1,100 votes registered. According to him, the BJP had then exposed the fake voters, launched a major protest, and eventually toppled the Congress government, paving the way for the BJP's rise to power.
In the viral clip, Mishra claimed that he himself was part of the team that caught the alleged “vote thief” during that period. His comments have now triggered heated reactions online.
Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari shared the video on X (formerly Twitter) with a sharp dig at the BJP MP, writing: "This is BJP MP from Rewa, Janardan Mishra! He admits that Rewa was the biggest example of voter list fraud. At one booth, there were supposed to be 1,000 votes, but 1,100 came out. He says he himself investigated it!"
The controversy comes at a time when Congress, RJD, and other opposition parties are accusing the Election Commission of using the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in Bihar to deliberately strike out their core voters. The Commission, however, insists the exercise is only to verify genuine voters.
Congress has also alleged irregularities in the Karnataka Lok Sabha elections as well as in assembly polls in Haryana and Maharashtra.
Addressing the matter on Sunday, August 17, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said it was a "serious concern" that some parties and leaders were spreading misinformation about the SIR process in Bihar.