‘…lie told with complete preparation': Union minister Bhupender Yadav takes on Rahul Gandhi's voter fraud allegations

Indian Express

2 days ago

A day after Rahul Gandhi levied 'vote chori' allegations and accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of helping the BJP, Union minister Bhupender Yadav on Friday took on the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, accusing him of conjuring up 'a fake narrative' aimed at 'systematic belittling' of the country's constitutional institutions.
At a press conference at the BJP headquarters, Yadav said that for several days, Gandhi had been 'talking about triggering an atom bomb' but on Thursday, he had 'ended up sawing the same tree branch that he is sitting on' through his presentation alleging voter fraud and 'threats' issued to the poll panel and its employees.
'Arrogance underlined the language used by the Yuvraj of the Congress against the employees of the functioning Election Commission of India. Rahul Gandhi has said 'When we come to power, there will be consequences for Election Commission officers big and small'. Does such language for the employees of the constitutional institutions of the country suit the Leader of Opposition?' he asked.
'If someone attacks the pride of the army in this country, it is Rahul Gandhi – and the Supreme Court's remarks are in front of one and all. After these, Congress leaders did not refrain from making remarks against the Supreme Court itself. In this country, the Army, the Election Commission, Parliament – these are such constitutional institutions which work autonomously and independently, and we are all governed by them,' Yadav added.
Everyone who followed the Constitution in letter and spirit, Yadav said, should abide by this process because the Election Commission and the judiciary are institutions with constitutional status. Those who abide by the Constitution, he added, also have a duty to 'not use such arrogant and threatening language against them'.
Gandhi had alleged irregularities in the voter lists for the Mahadevapura Assembly segment in the Bangalore Central Lok Sabha seat, claiming that over 1 lakh votes could be fraudulent.
Citing data crunched by the BJP on '50 seats' similar to those analysed by the Congress, Yadav alleged that a 'lie had been told with complete preparation' by the Raebareli MP.
'His first sentence was 'there was an increase of 1 crore votes in Maharashtra…the website of the Election Commission of India states that in 2024 in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, the number of voters was 9,71, 41,289…in Lok Sabha, the number of voters was 9,30,61,760; so 40 lakh votes increased between the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections,' Yadav said.
'But Rahul Gandhi is saying 1 crore votes increases…so there is a 60 per cent margin. Does this mean that whenever he says anything now, a margin of 60 per cent should be deducted from it? Because he is lying with a 60 per cent margin in his first sentence itself…they won most seats where there was an increase in the number of voters,' he added.
Citing examples, Yadav named seats such as the Mumbra-Kalwa Assembly constituency in Maharashtra that saw an increase of more than 41,000 voters between the two polls. This seat, he emphasised, was won by the NCP (S-P), which was a part of the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance.
Similarly, he said, in the Bhiwandi seat, over 37,000 voters increased, where an INDIA bloc candidate belonging to the Samajwadi Party won. The Khed Alandi seat, which saw an increase of over 23,000 votes, saw the candidate fielded by the Shiv Sena (UBT), another INDIA bloc member, winning, he added.
'Look at the Congress – seat number 57, Nagpur North saw an increase of 23,421 voters. What was the winning margin, 28,467. Who won? Dr. Nitin Kashinath Raut of the Congress…I have a list of all such seats,' Yadav said.
'Maybe they do not know how to look within. If the process of the Election Commission of India – the addition and deletion of votes is their independent exercise…but this theory of Rahul Gandhi's is defeated when confronted with the (election) results. The starting data itself is wrong…and the conclusion is on lies,' he added.
Saying that an Opposition party, after losing elections, was peddling lies when it came to the facts, Yadav also sought to accuse Gandhi of 'shoot and scoot tactics'.
'Has any formal evidence been given under oath in the Election Commission? That is not the case…if there is any (evidence), this is a matter between them (Rahul Gandhi) and the Election Commission. But, in the country, lies should not be peddled,' he said.
'This modus operandi – say something and run away, do not let Parliament function, do not engage in debate in Parliament…this is not right. I want to tell you that all the fake news that they are creating…has fallen flat by the same data which has been cited,' he added.
Yadav also sought to take on the Congress for deliberately and systematically seeking to 'belittle' the constitutional institutions of the country for the sake of 'one family'.
'The Congress party, through a deliberate and systematic attempt, for the sake of just one family, is…on the basis of a fake narrative, trying to belittle our constitutional institutions…but the Constitution is supreme and we work under the farsighted provisions of Babasaheb Ambedkar, which are part of it,' Yadav said.
'These false narratives have been destroyed by the people thrice so far and will continue to be in future,' he added.
Jatin Anand is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express. Over the last 15 years, he has covered bureaucracy & politics, crime, traffic & intelligence, the Election Commission of India & Urban Development among other beats. He is an English (Literature) graduate from Zakir Husain Delhi College, DU & specialised in Print at the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai. He tweets @jatinpaul ... Read More