Did NCP-SP's Supriya Sule and Shiv Sena-UBT's Arvind Sawant Support Rahul Gandhi's 'Vote-Chori' Allegations?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Supriya Sule and Arvind Sawant support Rahul Gandhi's allegations.
- Demand for a thorough investigation into vote-chori.
- Critique of Election Commission for lack of transparency.
- Concerns about electoral integrity highlighted.
- Political tensions are rising in the current landscape.
New Delhi, Sep 18 (NationPress) NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule and Shiv Sena-UBT leader Arvind Sawant showed their support on Thursday for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's claims regarding extensive voter manipulation, labeling the matter as 'serious and painful for democracy' while calling for a comprehensive investigation.
While speaking to the press in Mumbai, Sule stated that Gandhi had ‘raised the right issue’ by providing detailed data and statistics on the alleged ‘vote-chori’ in Karnataka's Aland constituency during the 2023 Assembly elections.
‘This is a matter of huge concern and it should be investigated. Are voting rights being snatched? This is a painful matter for a healthy democracy,’ she remarked.
When asked about similar allegations made by leaders in other constituencies, Sule mentioned that both she and fellow party member Amol Kolhe had emerged victorious from Baramati and Shirur respectively.
‘Start an inquiry from us, despite the fact that we won. This is not about Opposition or ruling party. We are not raising these issues merely because we sit in the Opposition,’ she clarified.
In response to BJP's claims that Opposition leaders are only raising issues of ‘vote-chori’ following losses in Assembly elections and that some are defecting to the ruling party, Sule indicated that such defections stem from pressure exerted by central investigative agencies.
‘This is due to ED, CBI, Income Tax. We have all seen how aggressively these agencies have operated. That pressure has eased somewhat now. We do not possess the kind of machinery that the BJP does,’
she alleged.
Stressing the gravity of the charge, Sule added, ‘On vote-chori, data doesn’t lie.’
Shiv Sena-UBT MP Arvind Sawant also backed Rahul Gandhi's assertions, criticizing the Election Commission for a lack of transparency.
‘Rahul Gandhi is now clearly illustrating how vote-chori is occurring. During the Assembly elections, 40 lakh new voters were registered. Yet, the ECI is not even releasing the CCTV footage of voting after 5 p.m.,’ Sawant told reporters.
Their statements followed a press conference held by Rahul Gandhi in Delhi, where he accused the BJP and the Election Commission of engaging in systematic voter roll manipulation and attempting to eliminate thousands of votes in Aland constituency.