LS polls: BJP rejects Rahul Gandhi’s election fraud claims, calls it 'calculated deceit'

The BJP on Thursday rejected Rahul Gandhi’s allegation of electoral fraud as a “calculated deceit” and accused the Congress of systematically undermining constitutional institutions under a broader conspiracy against India’s democracy and Constitution.

Responding to Gandhi’s claim that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were rigged in Karnataka with the help of the Election Commission, the BJP termed the allegation “irresponsible” and “shameless”. According to PTI, the party asserted that such comments insulted the people’s “discerning decision” and reflected the Congress leader’s frustration over his party’s repeated electoral failures.

Addressing reporters at the Parliament complex, BJP MP and former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad criticised Gandhi for calling the Election Commission a fraud and questioned his credibility.

“Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition, has made shameless remarks against a constitutional body. Narendra Modiji has been winning elections since 2015 based on his work and honesty. Calling this a fraud is an insult to the voters,” Prasad said. “You keep roaming across the country to get bail and then accuse others of fraud. He doesn’t understand the importance of constitutional bodies,” he added.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan echoed these sentiments, calling Gandhi “Bayan Bahadur”, who had lost composure in his desperation for power. “The Congress, ideologically hollow, is systematically targeting constitutional institutions. This may be part of a larger conspiracy against India’s democracy and Constitution,” he posted on X.

Pradhan further linked Gandhi’s comments to the Congress party’s historical record, referencing the Emergency as a “dark chapter” in India’s democratic past. He also accused Gandhi of double standards, praising the Election Commission when winning but discrediting it when losing. “Rahul Gandhi must understand that his family’s success is not the yardstick of democracy,” Pradhan said.

He questioned Gandhi’s silence during earlier Election Commission proceedings, including an invitation to political parties to submit complaints related to SIR in Bihar. “Neither the Congress nor any INDI alliance party approached the Commission at the time,” he pointed out.

The BJP alleged that Gandhi's statement was not just a personal outburst but part of a larger pattern of undermining public institutions. “The people of Bihar and across India are watching, and they will give a befitting reply to such opponents of democracy,” Pradhan said.

Gandhi had earlier alleged that the Election Commission manipulated voter data in Karnataka to help the BJP “steal” a Lok Sabha seat, calling it a “criminal fraud” perpetrated by the ruling party and the poll panel.