New Delhi: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and MP Anurag Thakur has responded sharply to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of “vote theft.” Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters on Wednesday in Delhi, Thakur targeted the Congress by citing examples from Wayanad, Rae Bareli and Bengal. Thakur alleged that in Rae Bareli, names such as Mohammad Kaif Khan were registered in multiple booths, including booth numbers 83, 151 and 218. He pointed out that at House no. 189, polling station 131, as many as 47 voter IDs were registered. Similarly, in Bengal’s Diamond Harbour, at House no. 0011, booth number 103, voters of several religions were registered.
Questions raised over multiple registrations
Questioning the Congress leadership, Thakur said, “How can 47 voters be registered at the same house in Rae Bareli? Rahul ji and Sonia ji never noticed these names. Rahul Gandhi contested twice and Priyanka Gandhi once. I want to ask them how new voters were added in Wayanad? You have taken votes three times. Did you never see this? How did it happen?”
Criticism of Congress’ election record
Thakur further asserted that under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, Congress has a consistent record of losing elections, and even within the party, questions have been raised over his leadership. “Whenever Rahul Gandhi loses an election, he blames EVMs and the voters. Many times Congress has claimed that EVMs are rigged in the BJP’s favour, demanded a ban on EVMs, and pushed for a return to ballot papers. After every defeat, Congress finds a new excuse instead of introspecting and keeps levelling allegations against the Election Commission and constitutional institutions,” Thakur added.
Thakur hits back at Mamata
The BJP leader also criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for opposing a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in her state. “I want to ask Mamata Banerjee a question. In the Lok Sabha in 2005, she threw documents claiming that the voter list included illegal Bangladeshi migrants. Now, when we are trying to clean that mess, she is creating hurdles. Was she lying then or is she lying now?” he asked. -(IndiaTV)
