Kharge backs Rahul’s ‘vote chori’ allegations; says time to save country

Shortly after Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi shared “criminal evidence” to back his claim of rigging in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said the time has come to save democracy and the Constitution.

Launching a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India, Kharge said there was a time when the poll panel of India was praised worldwide.

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“Many countries sought training from our Election Commission to conduct impartial elections. When a political party raised questions with the Election Commission, it would respond or provide clarification within the bounds of constitutional dignity,” he said.

In contrast, the Congress president said, “Today, when someone questions the ECI, instead of responding, it acts like a representative of the ruling party, leveling counter-allegations and making baseless statements without considering the demands of opposition parties.”

Backing Rahul Gandhi’s ‘vote chori’ (vote theft) claim, Kharge said the LoP explained how the Election Commission allowed gross rigging in a single election, and shredded its constitutional duties.

“Today, Mr. @RahulGandhi, after thorough investigation, cited examples from Karnataka’s Mahadevapura Assembly Segment, explaining how the Election Commission allowed gross rigging in a single election, shredding its constitutional duties, with 1,00,250 votes stolen,” Kharge said.

The Congress president echoed Rahul’s “vote chori” claim, adding that the time has come to save the country.

“This Vote Chori is happening strategically across many seats in the country. The Congress party will raise public awareness about this. Tomorrow, we will begin from Freedom Park in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The time has come to save democracy and the Constitution, to save the country!”