Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, alleging that a significant portion of its parliamentary strength was the result of “vote theft” and manipulation of democratic institutions.
In a post on social media platform X, Gandhi claimed that electoral malpractices were being used not only to win individual seats but, in some cases, to capture entire governments. “Seats are sometimes stolen through vote theft—and sometimes entire governments are,” he wrote, escalating his criticism of the BJP’s electoral record.
Targeting the composition of the current Lok Sabha, Gandhi alleged that “of the BJP’s 240 Lok Sabha MPs, roughly every sixth MP has won through vote theft,” adding that such representatives could be identified without difficulty. In a pointed remark, he questioned whether they should be described as “infiltrators” using the BJP’s own political terminology.
The Congress leader also singled out Haryana, where the BJP is in power, claiming that “the entire government is an ‘infiltrator’.” His remarks come amid ongoing political contestation in the state, where opposition parties have repeatedly raised concerns about governance and electoral transparency.
Gandhi further accused the ruling party of undermining democratic institutions, alleging that those in power “keep institutions in their pocket” and “manipulate voter lists and the electoral process.” He added that such actors were themselves “remote-controlled,” suggesting a lack of institutional independence.
Gandhi further argued that the ruling party’s electoral success would not hold up under fair conditions.
“What they truly fear is the truth. Because if elections were conducted fairly, they wouldn’t be able to win even around 140 seats today,” he said.
The BJP has consistently rejected similar allegations made by opposition leaders in the past, maintaining that India’s electoral processes are robust and conducted under the supervision of independent authorities. Gandhi’s latest comments add to the intensifying political rhetoric between the Congress and the BJP following recent electoral contests and ahead of upcoming state elections.
