Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday, 8 May repeated his allegation that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had "stolen" elections in Haryana and also manipulated Assembly polls in West Bengal and Assam, while calling upon young Indian National Congress (Congress) leaders across states to lead Sadbhav Yatras to counter what he described as the politics of hatred and division. Gandhi made the remarks while addressing a Sadbhav Yatra event in Gurugram.

Key Allegations on Electoral Manipulation

Gandhi alleged that West Bengal and Assam had now been added to a list of states — including Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, and Maharashtra — where, according to him, elections were manipulated by deleting or adding the names of lakhs of voters from electoral rolls. "They have prepared a system to steal elections. They delete lakhs of names or add lakhs of names. The Election Commission and bureaucracy are under their control, and they think that their rule will last forever," Gandhi said. He added: "Let me tell you, their time is going to end soon because they will have to face public anger."

Remarks on Asset Sales and Andaman Project

Gandhi claimed that BJP leaders were harming the country by selling infrastructure assets, including airports and power plants, to private players. He also referenced the Great Nicobar Project — the government's initiative to develop the Andaman and Nicobar Islands into a strategic maritime hub — saying, "Now, their latest target is to sell off the Andaman and Nicobar Islands." The government has not publicly characterised the project as a sell-off; it describes it as a strategic development initiative.

Ideology and the Congress Party's Resolve

Framing the political contest in ideological terms, Gandhi said: "Whatever happens, this is a battle of ideologies. In this country, only two ideologies are in conflict. One is the ideology of the RSS based on hatred and division, and the other is the ideology of the Congress Party based on love and unity." He predicted that the Congress would ultimately be the last party standing against the BJP, repeating his assertion twice for emphasis.

Sadbhav Yatra and Ground-Level Issues

Gandhi spoke at the culmination of the Sadbhav Yatra led by Hisar leader Brijendra Singh, who covered 72 Assembly constituencies across 183 days. He flagged unemployment as the biggest issue in Haryana, arguing that educated youth were struggling to find jobs despite degrees from private colleges. Gandhi also alleged that small industries were being shut down to benefit large businesses, that Chinese products were flooding domestic markets, and that young people were being pushed towards social media addiction. He further criticised the India-US trade deal, accusing the government of compromising the interests of Indian farmers. Gandhi urged Congress leaders across states to undertake similar yatras, saying such outreach programmes helped leaders understand public sentiment and connect with people directly.

The BJP has not yet formally responded to Gandhi's latest round of allegations. With assembly elections in several states on the horizon, the Congress's yatra strategy signals an early ground mobilisation effort.