Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, stirred political tremors on Wednesday as he reiterated the opposition’s central slogan — “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod” (Vote Thieves, Vacate The Throne) — claiming it had been “proven across the country” and would continue to be exposed in more dramatic ways in the future.
Speaking to the media before attending an event, Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to his Rae Bareli constituency, said that “much more” is yet to come against the ruling party.
At the Prajapati Samaj convention in Rae Bareli, Gandhi also took aim at the BJP and RSS. “Ninety per cent of the population in this country is OBC, Dalit, and Adivasi. But these BJP-RSS people do not want them to ever move forward. They want Dalits to stay where they are and Ambanis to stay where they are,” he charged.
“Prime Minister Modi himself is an OBC, but he says nothing on the caste census. When I questioned him in Parliament, he spoke for one and a half hours but did not utter a single word on it,” Gandhi added.
He further accused the BJP of large-scale electoral manipulation in states such as Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka.
“In Maharashtra, our alliance won the Lok Sabha elections. But within four months, it became clear that nearly one crore new voters had been added to the system after the polls. Our vote count remained the same in the Assembly elections, but BJP’s numbers surged precisely where these new voters appeared. It seemed that all the new votes went into the BJP’s account. I have formally complained to the Election Commission,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi’s visit was met with stiff protests from BJP leaders and workers.
Upon landing at Lucknow’s Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport, he was received by UP Congress chief Ajay Rai and senior party leaders before heading to Rae Bareli by road. As his convoy moved along the highway, BJP members staged demonstrations, shouting slogans like “Rahul Gandhi go back!” near Batohi Hotel under Harchandpur police station.
UP Minister and MLC Dinesh Pratap Singh, who joined the protest, accused Gandhi of remaining silent over offensive language allegedly used against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother at a recent RJD-Congress rally in Bihar. “Rahul Gandhi must apologize and expel those workers who insulted the Prime Minister’s mother. It’s a matter of national shame,” Singh said.
He further claimed that the BJP had no intention of blocking roads but was forced to respond after police misbehaved with protesters. The standoff briefly disrupted traffic, forcing Gandhi’s convoy to be diverted to the opposite lane.
Across Rae Bareli, posters depicting Rahul Gandhi alongside RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav described them as the “Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh of Kalyug” and “India’s last hope.” State Congress chief Ajay Rai said Gandhi’s visit had re-energized both party workers and citizens.
According to district Congress president Pankaj Tiwari, Gandhi began his visit by meeting former party office-bearers in Harchandpur, inaugurating the Ashok Pillar at Gora Bazaar intersection, and interacting with members of the Prajapati community at a local hotel.
On Thursday, he is scheduled to meet Congress leaders and representatives from various civil society groups before participating in a District Vigilance and Monitoring Committee meeting at the Savings Bhawan in the District Collectorate.