GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 18th Sept: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Jagdambika Pal on Thursday launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying his repeated allegations of “vote chori” (vote theft) show that the Congress has already conceded defeat ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections.
Pal’s remarks came just hours before Rahul Gandhi’s scheduled press conference, where the Congress leader is expected to present what he has described as a “hydrogen bomb” of evidence of electoral fraud. During his ongoing Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar, Gandhi accused the ruling BJP of large-scale manipulation in voter lists.
“Rahul Gandhi should understand that a hydrogen bomb causes destruction like Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Does he want destruction, or is he simply misleading the people? Earlier, when he lost elections, he blamed EVMs. Now, before the election itself, he is blaming the voter verification process. This clearly shows Congress has accepted defeat in Bihar,” Pal told ANI.
Defence of Election Commission
The BJP leader defended the Election Commission of India (ECI), saying the poll body has been conducting a transparent Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists across Bihar. He noted that the ECI has invited all political parties, including Congress, to observe the door-to-door verification process.
“When Rahul Gandhi talks about vote chori, the Election Commission writes to him, asking him to see the ground reality. Names of deceased or migrated individuals are being removed, while new voters who turned 18 are being added. Instead of providing proof, he stages protests. This proves his allegations are baseless,” Pal asserted.
The BJP MP also pointed out that the ECI had asked Rahul Gandhi and Congress to submit a sworn affidavit to substantiate their claims, but no evidence has been provided so far.
Rahul Gandhi’s Past Allegations
This is not the first time Rahul Gandhi has raised concerns over alleged voter fraud. In August, he claimed that lakhs of fake voters were added in Karnataka’s Mahadevpura constituency and also accused the BJP of manipulating the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, which the Mahayuti alliance won.
Following those allegations, the ECI had directed him to furnish an affidavit with proof for an investigation. However, no substantive evidence has been submitted yet.
Bihar Polls on the Horizon
The upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, scheduled for October and November, are expected to be fiercely contested. While the Opposition continues to allege a conspiracy between the BJP and ECI to manipulate the outcome, the Election Commission has maintained that the ongoing voter list revision is aimed solely at ensuring accuracy and fairness.
In a related development, the ECI on Wednesday announced revisions to guidelines under Rule 49B of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, for designing and printing EVM ballot papers. The move, aimed at improving clarity and readability, will be implemented in the Bihar polls.
With political tensions intensifying, the BJP’s counterattack suggests that the electoral narrative in Bihar may revolve as much around the credibility of the voting process as on core political issues.
The post BJP MP Jagdambika Pal Slams Rahul Gandhi Over ‘Vote Theft’ Claims Ahead of Bihar Polls appeared first on Global Governance News- Asia's First Bilingual News portal for Global News and Updates.
