Mumbai: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s fresh allegations of “vote chori” against the Election Commission of India (ECI), citing irregularities in voter lists in Karnataka and Maharashtra, evoked sharp reactions from both the BJP and its allies, as well as the Opposition.
Addressing media persons soon after Gandhi’s presser, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Harshwardhan Sapkal demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
“After the vote theft exposed in Rajura assembly constituency in Chandrapur district, CM Fadnavis has no right to continue in office,” Sapkal said.
“As many as 6,850 votes were manipulated in the constituency, and even an FIR has been registered by the police under the home department headed by the CM. The vote theft is confirmed with the police move,” said the MPCC chief in Thane. This shows the state government has no moral right to remain in power, he added.
The NCP(SP) spokesperson Clyde Crasto said the charges levelled by Gandhi were serious in nature, which warrant an independent probe. “The Congress leader has shown how names from the voters' list were removed through dubious means, raising questions over the integrity of the ECI,” he said in a post on X.
The Shiv Sena UBT said Gandhi was doing excellent work of exposing the real face of the BJP. “The BJP is rattled because of Rahul Gandhi's fresh charges with proof,” Harshal Pradhan, the party spokesperson, said.
Meanwhile, Union minister of state for social justice and the RPI leader Ramdas Athawale termed Gandhi's allegations as baseless. The NDA ally said omission of voters from lists happened during the Congress regime, also.
Keshav Upadhye, chief spokesperson of the state BJP, dubbed the Congress MP as the badshah of vote theft. “He (Gandhi) should apologise to the people of India for making unfounded allegations about the poll process,” Upadhye said.
Taking a cue from recent revelations, such as the one related to Karad assembly constituency, where it was alleged that relatives of former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan have their names registered at different booths, he said, “Nothing can be proven just by allegations. You have to fight a legal battle within the framework of the Constitution”.
MP Sunil Tatakare, the state unit chief of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, termed Rahul Gandhi’s allegations as childish. “The voters are aware enough to understand the narrative being set by Congress. Such charges have been levelled since the Congress was unable to digest the huge defeat in the state assembly polls last year,” he said.
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