The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday launched a sharp counterattack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of undermining India’s democratic institutions with his allegations of large-scale voter fraud.
BJP MP Anurag Thakur said Gandhi’s repeated charges against the Election Commission were “baseless” and risked creating political instability similar to recent events in neighbouring Nepal and Bangladesh.
‘Rahul Gandhi misleading citizens’
Speaking at a press conference, Thakur accused the Congress MP of deliberately trying to weaken public trust. “While the Election Commission of India is functioning without bias, Rahul Gandhi is busy weakening democracy, misleading citizens, and trying to create a situation like Bangladesh and Nepal,” he said.
Thakur’s remarks came against the backdrop of regional turmoil. Nepal has been grappling with unrest that forced former prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli to resign earlier this month, while Bangladesh saw Sheikh Hasina ousted amid mass protests last year.
The BJP leader further argued that Gandhi’s “habit” of levelling accusations without evidence revealed Congress’ lack of faith in democratic institutions. “When asked to verify or submit affidavits, they run away. Making false and baseless allegations has become a habit of Rahul Gandhi,” Thakur claimed.
What Rahul Gandhi alleged
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi doubled down on his claims of “vote theft,” directly naming Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and accusing him of shielding “vote chors” (vote thieves).
He pointed to two constituencies, Aland Assembly in Karnataka and Rajura Assembly in Maharashtra to back his claims. Gandhi alleged that attempts were made to delete 6,018 votes from the rolls in Aland during the 2023 assembly elections in Karnataka.
He further alleged that around 6,850 fake voter entries were allegedly added online in Maharashtra's Rajura.
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According to Gandhi, the manipulation was carried out using automated software in a “centrally coordinated scam” designed to erode Congress’ vote base.
Election Commission yet to respond
While the BJP has strongly defended the Election Commission’s impartiality, the poll body has yet to formally respond to Gandhi’s latest accusations.