Rahul's 'vote chori' campaign divides Congress leaders
What's the story
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Election Commission of India (ECI) of electoral manipulation, promising to reveal "open-and-shut proof" soon. He claimed that his party has a "hydrogen bomb" of evidence that will expose systematic vote theft. When asked if this would pertain to PM Modi's Varanasi constituency, Gandhi said it was for others to guess.
Accusations leveled
Gandhi accuses CEC of shielding vote thieves
Gandhi has also accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar of shielding those involved in vote theft. He cited an ongoing CID investigation in Karnataka over the alleged deletion of over 6,000 names from the electoral rolls as proof. "Gyanesh Kumar is CEC that the Karnataka CID is asking for," he said, calling it a major indictment of the CEC.
Counterarguments presented
BJP rejects Gandhi's allegations, accuses him of misleading public
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has rejected Gandhi's allegations. Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad accused him of misleading the public and inciting unrest among youth voters. "What does Rahul Gandhi want to convey by such posts?" Prasad asked, referring to Gandhi's social media posts urging young Indians to save democracy from vote theft.
Internal debate
Mixed feelings within Congress over 'vote theft' campaign
Within the Congress, there are mixed feelings about Gandhi's "vote theft" campaign. Some leaders praise his meticulous preparation and execution, while others worry it could delegitimize Indian democracy. Senior leader Abhishek Singhvi defended the strategy, saying they are highlighting issues while avoiding legal traps set by the BJP. However, some Congress leaders question if this should be their primary campaign focus against the BJP.
Campaign critique
Critics within Congress warn campaign could backfire
Despite backing from some Congress leaders, others criticize Gandhi's campaign for not being coherent. A former Congress Working Committee member warned it could delegitimize Indian democracy. Another ex-Congress leader said such allegations cover up organizational neglect and decay within the party. The leader pointed out that if voter fraud happened as claimed, it showed a lack of ground game by the party's local representatives.