Don't trust EC? Resign from Lok Sabha: BJP to Rahul Gandhi

The BJP on Saturday demanded that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi resign from the Lok Sabha “on moral grounds” if he does not trust the Election Commission (EC), accusing him of making baseless “vote theft” claims without providing evidence.

BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said during a press conference that Gandhi refused to submit a written declaration to the EC over his “vote chori” remarks and should step down if he doubts the poll body’s integrity. He added that Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should also resign from Parliament if they share such views.

“You make allegations before the media and then refuse to give proof or a written declaration when the constitutional body asks for it,” Bhatia said, citing a Supreme Court observation praising the EC’s reputation as an impartial institution.

Bhatia further urged the chief ministers of Congress-ruled Karnataka, Telangana, and Himachal Pradesh to resign, arguing that their party’s top leaders had no faith in the EC. “Whatever suits you, you accept. Whatever is inconvenient, you reject and cast aspersions on the Election Commission. This will not work,” he said.

Gandhi, speaking in Bengaluru on Friday at the Vote Adhikar Rally, had said he had already taken an oath inside Parliament on the Constitution and therefore did not need to submit an affidavit to the EC. He also called for a Karnataka government probe into alleged fake voter inclusion during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Bhatia dismissed Gandhi’s statement as false, calling him an “anarchic element” turned “destroyer” who was undermining India’s constitutional and democratic framework. He accused Gandhi of being “immature” and waging a war against constitutional institutions by intimidating EC officials.