Did BJP Hit Back at Rahul Gandhi Over ‘Vote Deletion’ Allegations?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Thakur defends BJP against Gandhi's claims.
- Election Commission maintains integrity in its processes.
- Congress faces scrutiny over its electoral history.
- Political tensions highlight the importance of democracy.
- Accountability in elections remains a core issue.
New Delhi, Sep 18 (NationPress) Following Rahul Gandhi's allegations against the BJP and the Election Commission regarding 'vote deletion' in Karnataka's Aland constituency during the 2023 Assembly elections, senior BJP figure and former Union Minister Anurag Thakur responded sharply on Thursday, labelling Gandhi's claims as 'habitual, unfounded accusations'.
During a press briefing at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, Thakur pointed out that the Congress party has faced repeated rejection by voters under Gandhi's leadership.
'Under his guidance, Congress has lost nearly 90 elections. His growing frustration has led him to adopt a politics of accusations as his sole strategy,' Thakur stated.
He further noted that Gandhi fails to substantiate his assertions when requested for evidence.
'Whenever asked to provide a formal oath or lodge an official complaint, he evades the issue,' he remarked, emphasizing that Gandhi's history of accusations—from Rafale to 'chowkidar chor hai' to Pegasus—has only resulted in 'defeat and apologies in courts'.
In response to Gandhi's recent claim about voter deletions in Aland, Thakur referenced the Election Commission's clarification that no voter can be removed online without proper procedures and opportunities for hearings.
He pointed out that the Congress candidate had actually secured the seat by over 10,000 votes in 2023.
'Does this imply that Congress engaged in vote theft to win?' he questioned, and referring to the Karnataka High Court's recent ruling that overturned Congress leader K.Y. Nanje Gowda's victory in Malur, he added, 'Does that mean Congress was involved in vote theft in Malur?'
Thakur accused Congress of attempting to weaken democratic institutions and destabilize the nation.
'Are they trying to shield infiltrators and grant them voting rights at the expense of SC/ST/OBC communities? Rahul Gandhi's statement portrays him as siding with infiltrators,' he alleged.
He dismissed any notions of bias in the Election Commission's operations, asserting that Congress itself has a history of misusing the EC.
'Currently, the EC operates with integrity,' he contended.
'The BJP will take all necessary actions to fortify democracy and expose the infiltrators that Congress seeks to empower,' Thakur concluded.