Rijiju to Rahul: Listen to voters or stop blaming EVMs
Synopsis
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju fired a pointed broadside at Rahul Gandhi on November 5, warning that Congress's failure to connect with voters — not 'vote theft' — explains its electoral losses, and daring Gandhi not to reach for that excuse again.
Key Takeaways
Kiren Rijiju posted a pointed Hindi-language rebuke of Rahul Gandhi on November 5, 2026 .
He warned Gandhi that unless Congress listens to voters, it will not win votes.
He pre-emptively called any future 'vote theft' allegation a 'false accusation' ( jhuta aarop ).
Congress and allied parties have raised EVM reliability concerns after both the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections .
As Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs , Rijiju's statement carries institutional, not merely partisan, weight.
A formal response from Congress leadership was awaited at the time of publication.
A sharp warning shot crossed Indian politics on Thursday, November 5, 2026, when Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju turned his fire on Rahul Gandhi, telling the Congress leader bluntly that ignoring voters has consequences — and that crying 'vote theft' afterwards will not wash.
Rijiju's post in Hindi was unambiguous: 'अगर राहुल गांधी जी मेरी बात नहीं सुनते हैं, तो उन्हें वोट नहीं मिलेंगे। फिर बाद में 'वोट चोरी' का झूठा आरोप लगाकर रोना मत।' — 'If Rahul Gandhi does not listen to what I am saying, he will not get votes. And then, don't go crying later with false allegations of vote theft.'
The 'vote theft' charge BJP has long wanted to bury
The jab lands with precision. Since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Congress and a cluster of opposition parties have periodically raised questions about Electronic Voting Machine reliability and alleged procedural irregularities — charges that resurfaced after the 2024 general election as well. The BJP has consistently dismissed those claims as a losing party's reflex, and Rijiju is now codifying that argument: electoral defeat, he implies, is a product of political disconnect, not rigged machines.
By framing 'vote theft' as a 'false allegation' (jhuta aarop), Rijiju is doing something deliberate — he is pre-emptively delegitimising any post-election grievance narrative from Congress before votes are even counted. It is a move straight from the BJP's established playbook: challenge the opposition's credibility on electoral integrity before they can build it.
Rijiju's role and why this voice carries weight
This is not a backbench provocation. As Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Rijiju manages the government's business inside both Houses of Parliament — he is, in effect, the administration's chief negotiator with the opposition benches. His words on electoral politics carry institutional weight that a simple party spokesperson's cannot. Coming from him, the rebuke signals that the BJP's top legislative management is confident enough in its ground connect to taunt Congress over its own.
Rijiju also brings a specific geography to this fight. A senior BJP leader from Arunachal Pradesh, he has won his own battles in a frontier state where every vote is hard-fought, lending a certain earned authority to a lecture on listening to voters.
Congress has not formally responded to the post at the time of publication. How the party's leadership — and Rahul Gandhi himself — replies will tell observers whether this remains a Twitter skirmish or escalates into a floor fight in the winter session of Parliament.
Point of View
The BJP seeks to drain that charge of credibility before any future election result can energise it. The timing is telling — such pre-emptive framing typically accelerates as polling approaches, suggesting the party senses an imminent electoral contest where Congress might deploy its EVM narrative. For Rahul Gandhi, the taunt is also a trap: responding risks amplifying Rijiju's frame, while staying silent cedes the information battlefield. This exchange fits a well-worn BJP strategy of turning opposition process grievances into evidence of political inadequacy rather than legitimate democratic concern.
NationPress
5 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Kiren Rijiju say about Rahul Gandhi and vote theft?
Rijiju posted in Hindi on November 5, 2026, warning Rahul Gandhi that if Congress does not listen to voters it will lose seats, and telling him not to later blame 'vote theft' — which Rijiju called a false allegation.
Why does Congress allege vote theft or EVM tampering?
Congress and several opposition parties have raised concerns about Electronic Voting Machine reliability and alleged procedural irregularities following both the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, claims the BJP has consistently denied.
Who is Kiren Rijiju?
Kiren Rijiju is a senior BJP leader from Arunachal Pradesh who serves as Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of Minority Affairs in the central government.
What is the BJP's position on EVM tampering allegations?
The BJP has consistently dismissed EVM tampering allegations as unfounded claims made by losing parties, and senior leaders including Rijiju have framed such charges as a failure to accept democratic verdicts.
Has Congress responded to Rijiju's remarks?
A formal response from Congress leadership had not been issued at the time of publication.
