Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Saturday, 31 October in Jaipur strongly asserted that elections remain the sole constitutional and democratic means of changing governments in India, alleging that Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and some of his associates are openly advocating 'regime change' in the country.

The 'Regime Change' Allegation

Joshi alleged that Gandhi had cited the youth of Bangladesh as an inspiration and referred to that country's recent change of government as a model. The Union Minister sharply questioned what kind of regime change the Congress leader was advocating, noting that Bangladesh's power transition occurred amid violence, with reports of atrocities against Hindus and killings now emerging from the neighbouring country.

'Does the Congress want a similar situation in India?' Joshi asked, asserting that democracy is deeply embedded in India's DNA, traditions and values. He said India's 140 crore people are fully capable of choosing their government through the ballot box.

Electoral Roll Revision Row

Joshi defended the ongoing Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls, pointing out that such an exercise had been conducted 12 times in the country — 10 of them during Congress rule — and that the party had never objected before. He alleged the current opposition to the SSR was driven by 'political desperation.'

Explaining the rationale, the minister said electoral rolls frequently carry names of deceased voters, individuals who have permanently relocated, and duplicate entries. Referring to around 13 crore names currently under scrutiny, he cited data comprising approximately 2.8 crore deceased voters, 6.3 crore people who had permanently shifted, and 3 crore voters who were absent or untraceable.

Joshi clarified that any eligible citizen whose name was missing could apply for inclusion through Form-6. He also noted that in Rajasthan, around 13 lakh new voters had reportedly been added to the rolls. He termed Gandhi's demand to retain electoral rolls in their pre-revision form 'unreasonable,' and sarcastically suggested that if Gandhi wanted deceased voters to remain listed, he should 'first bring those people back.'

He further alleged that the Congress was seeking to include infiltrators' names in electoral rolls to gain political support by promising them various benefits.

Congress's Record on Institutions

Joshi accused the Congress of questioning constitutional institutions — including the Judiciary, the Lok Sabha Speaker, the Rajya Sabha Chairman and the Election Commission of India (ECI) — only when verdicts went against it. He recalled the appointment of Navin Chawla as Election Commissioner, noting that then Chief Election Commissioner Gopalaswami had written to the President expressing objections. He also cited former Chief Election Commissioners M.S. Gill, who later became a minister in a Congress-led government, and T.N. Seshan, who contested elections from Gandhinagar.

Joshi additionally recalled the Emergency period, alleging that the Congress government of that era interfered with judicial independence and overlooked the seniority of judges in appointing the Chief Justice of India.

BJP's MLC Poll Performance

Citing recent MLC elections in Karnataka, Joshi said the Congress — despite allegedly using the state government's official machinery — failed to win even a single seat out of four contested. At the national level, he claimed the Congress won only one of the 28 seats it contested in these elections held via ballot papers, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 15. He said the party also lost local body elections conducted through ballot papers in Tripura and Assam, yet continued to blame EVMs.

India's Economic Trajectory

Joshi accused the Congress of targeting India's economic achievements even as several major global economies faced headwinds. He said India recorded economic growth of 7.8% in the first quarter, with projections from institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Moody's reflecting continued confidence in the country's economic prospects.

On the startup ecosystem, Joshi said India had around 260 startups in 2014 compared with more than 2.4 lakh today, generating employment for over 20 lakh people. He attributed India's economic momentum to the collective determination of its people and the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding that accelerating infrastructure development and a strengthening manufacturing sector positioned India as one of the fastest-growing major economies despite global uncertainties.

How the Congress responds to these charges — particularly the electoral roll controversy — will likely shape the political narrative heading into upcoming state polls.