Guwahati, 14 December (HS): The Assam Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday strongly criticised the Congress for alleging vote theft, stating that the party raises such claims whenever it anticipates or faces electoral defeat.

In a statement issued to the press, State BJP spokesperson Brojen Mahanta said that the Congress has developed a habit of blaming alleged vote theft to mislead the people of the country whenever election results do not favour it. He remarked that the party conveniently refrains from making such allegations in states where it emerges victorious.

Citing examples, Mahanta pointed to Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka, where the Congress did not raise any claims of vote theft after winning elections. However, he said that following repeated defeats in Assembly and Lok Sabha polls, particularly after what he described as a decisive loss in Bihar, the Congress has once again started propagating the narrative of vote theft to create confusion among voters.

Mahanta further alleged that under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, the Congress has suffered defeat in as many as 95 consecutive elections. Instead of conducting an honest introspection into the reasons behind these losses, he said, the party continues to function as a coterie centred around the Gandhi family, a reality that, according to him, the people of India have long recognised.

The BJP spokesperson also accused the Congress leadership of routinely questioning democratic institutions after every electoral loss. Referring to historical events, Mahanta alleged that Jawaharlal Nehru became Prime Minister after Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was sidelined through internal party manoeuvres, that Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency after being unseated and contested elections despite the Allahabad High Court verdict and that Rajiv Gandhi was elevated to the post of Prime Minister following his declaration as the Congress’s prime ministerial candidate.

Concluding his statement, Mahanta said that Rahul Gandhi has failed to achieve electoral success despite repeated attempts and remains frustrated. It is this frustration, he asserted, that has led him to repeatedly raise allegations of vote theft.---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash