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Congress steps up attack on BJP over alleged 'vote chori', flags 'electoral engineering'
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused BJP MPs of winning Lok Sabha seats through vote chori, arguing fair elections would prevent the BJP from crossing 140 seats. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera accused the BJP of systematic electoral engineering through voter deletions and institutional capture, and called for judicial intervention and re-polling. Khera also commented on the BJP's stance on Muslim voters and Congress's Hindu-Muslim demographics.
Why It Matters
The remarks highlight ongoing disputes over electoral integrity and religious politics in national debate, potentially influencing public perception ahead of elections.
Timeline
4 Events
Khera discusses Muslim demographics and BJP's stance on Muslim voters
May 6, 2026
Khera rejected claims that Muslim votes are decisive for Congress, noting that among Congress’s 664 MLAs nationwide about 78% are Hindus and roughly 12% Muslims, mirroring population shares, and argued that the BJP seeks to communalize electoral outcomes.
Pawan Khera accuses BJP of 'systematic electoral engineering' and calls for re-polling
May 6, 2026
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera sharpened the attack by alleging large-scale voter deletions and institutional capture aimed at engineering electoral outcomes. He cited SIR deletions higher than margins of victory and urged judicial intervention and re-polling, calling it the 'antim sanskar' of democracy.
Gandhi posts on X alleging BJP MPs won via 'vote chori'
May 6, 2026
Rahul Gandhi wrote on X that a significant number of BJP MPs won their Lok Sabha seats through electoral manipulation, claiming that one in six BJP MPs secured victory through such means and that the BJP would struggle to win even 140 seats if elections were fair.
Gandhi's earlier criticism of BJP's Assembly election victories in West Bengal and Assam
May 2026
Rahul Gandhi had previously criticised the BJP's Assembly election victories in West Bengal and Assam, describing them as a 'theft of the mandate' and part of a broader effort to undermine democratic institutions.