Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday, 4 October 2025, sharply criticised the Congress party over remarks by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, who had described Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and all state Chief Ministers as 'illegal.' Chouhan called the statement a direct insult to constitutional institutions and the democratic mandate of the Indian electorate.

What Kharge Said

Kharge had demanded the dissolution of the Lok Sabha and all state Assemblies, asserting that 'all elections were illegal' and that the PM, Home Minister, and Chief Ministers currently holding office were, by extension, 'illegal.' The remarks drew an immediate and sharp counter from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Chouhan's Rebuttal

In a press statement issued on Saturday, Chouhan said, 'The Congress begins questioning democratic and constitutional institutions whenever it faces electoral defeats.' He argued that the party's pattern of attacking the Election Commission of India (ECI), Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), and electoral outcomes reflects an attempt to deflect attention from its own losses rather than engage in substantive politics.

Chouhan further contended that calling the Prime Minister and Home Minister 'illegal' amounts to disrespecting the Constitution and the democratic process, adding that it raises the question of whether, in Congress's view, democracy is only legitimate when the party or the Gandhi family holds power.

Defence of Election Commissioners and Electoral Rolls

The Union Minister also defended the statutory framework governing election administration. He pointed out that the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023 — passed by both Houses of Parliament — provides for a Selection Committee that includes the Leader of the Opposition. Chouhan accused Congress of deliberately misrepresenting this process to the public.

On electoral rolls, Chouhan stated that updating voter lists, removing duplicate or ineligible names, and including eligible voters are continuous statutory obligations. He asserted that the Election Commission provides prescribed mechanisms for claims and objections, and accused Congress of stoking fear among poor and minority communities for political advantage.

The EVM Question

Chouhan also took aim at Congress's long-running criticism of EVMs, noting that the party does not raise doubts about the machines when it wins — citing victories in Karnataka, Telangana, and Himachal Pradesh — but questions their reliability only after defeats. He cited Supreme Court rulings upholding the integrity of the electoral process and warned that Congress's position risks reverting the country to an era of booth capturing and ballot-box irregularities associated with paper ballots.

The Broader Political Context

This is not the first time the Opposition and the ruling dispensation have clashed over the legitimacy of electoral outcomes. Critics of the government argue that EVM concerns deserve institutional scrutiny regardless of which party raises them, while the BJP maintains that repeated court-upheld validations settle the matter. Notably, this exchange comes amid a broader opposition effort to build a narrative ahead of upcoming state elections. Chouhan's closing charge — that Congress has become 'devoid of issues' — signals the BJP intends to keep this framing at the centre of its political messaging going forward.