logo
Serious questions: Shashi Tharoor backs Rahul Gandhi's vote 'chori' claims

Serious questions: Shashi Tharoor backs Rahul Gandhi's vote 'chori' claims

India Today3 days ago
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, of late at odds with the party high command, on Friday backed senior leader Rahul Gandhi's explosive allegations of a 'huge criminal fraud' in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections through collusion between the BJP and the Election Commission of India (EC).Tharoor's support came after Gandhi presented what he called 'concrete evidence' of widespread electoral rigging, accusing the poll body of working with the BJP to manufacture the ruling party's victory.advertisement'These are serious questions which must be seriously addressed in the interests of all parties & all voters. Our democracy is too precious to allow its credibility to be destroyed by incompetence, carelessness or worse, deliberate tampering,' Tharoor said in a post on X, calling on the EC to act and clear the air.
The remarks marked a shift in tone for Tharoor, whose outspokenness over the past six months — including praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and critical takes on the Emergency era — has earned his party's ire and become fodder for the BJP to attack the Congress.GANDHI DROPS VOTE THEFT BOMBSHELLLeader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi alleged large-scale vote chori (vote theft) since the 2024 polls, and described the electoral process as 'staged.' He claimed the EC was in cahoots with the BJP and manipulated results.At the centre of the allegations is the Mahadevpura assembly segment in Karnataka, where he alleged the BJP gained an inflated lead of 1,14,046 votes, enabling it to win the Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha seat by 32,707 votes, even though Congress led in most other segments.Gandhi demanded access to machine-readable voter data from the past 10-15 years and CCTV footage from polling stations. 'If the EC does not give us machine-readable data for the past 10-15 years and the CCTV footage, they are partaking in the crime,' he said.BJP HITS BACKThe BJP rejected the Gandhi scion's "bogus claims", accusing him of insulting voters by calling the party's victory a fraud. It said his remarks stem from 'frustration and anger' over the Congress's repeated electoral defeats.Voters, the ruling party said, will continue to reject the Congress for such 'irresponsible and shameless' conduct.- EndsMust Watch
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

UP Monsoon Session begins today, set to be stormy
UP Monsoon Session begins today, set to be stormy

Hindustan Times

time30 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

UP Monsoon Session begins today, set to be stormy

The Monsoon Session of the Uttar Pradesh assembly, beginning on Monday, is expected to be stormy with the Opposition parties preparing to target the ruling BJP-led government over a range of public issues. The Monsoon Session of the Uttar Pradesh assembly is expected to begin on a stormy note on Monday. (File Photo) Leader of Opposition in the assembly and Samajwadi Party (SP) veteran Mata Prasad Pandey stated, 'We will raise issues such as the merger of schools, problems caused by floods and waterlogging, exploitation of farmers, fertiliser crisis, corruption in the administration, unemployment, rising prices of essential commodities, deteriorating law and order, irregular power supply and the decline in health services.' On Sunday, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav convened a meeting with his party MLAs at the state unit office to strategise for the session. Legislators were briefed on the key issues they are expected to raise in the House. Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhana Mishra 'Mona' said her party will draw the government's attention to key issues with the flood crisis being the foremost among them. 'Floods have made life miserable for people, and farmers are suffering as even their maize crops are being destroyed. I have demanded a central relief package for farmers during the all-party meeting held today,' she said. Mishra also highlighted the need for a debate on the school merger issue. 'On one hand, the government claims increased student enrolment, while on the other, it is shutting down schools. Law and order is another pressing issue, but meaningful discussion is difficult when the session is limited to just three-and- a-half days,' she added. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Legislature Party leader Umashankar Singh said the BSP will raise concerns about flooding in several districts. 'We will highlight the plight of people stranded in marooned villages, demand compensation for farmers whose crops and homes have been destroyed, and question delays in rescue and relief operations in rural areas. The BSP will also call for an extension of the Monsoon session,' he said. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government is expected to table ordinances during the session. These were promulgated following the budget session and include: Uttar Pradesh Repeal Ordinance, 2025, Uttar Pradesh State Public Service Commission (Regulation of Procedure) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, Uttar Pradesh Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, Uttar Pradesh Private Universities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, Uttar Pradesh Private Universities (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2025. The session will commence on August 11 and continue until August 16, according to principal secretary, UP assembly, Pradeep Dubey. No legislative business will be conducted on August 15 and 16 due to Independence Day and Krishna Janmashtami.

BJP refutes claim of J&K bifurcation
BJP refutes claim of J&K bifurcation

Hindustan Times

time30 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

BJP refutes claim of J&K bifurcation

Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday refuted the rumors regarding further bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir. J&K BJP general secretary (organisation) Ashok Koul. (File) The state BJP general secretary (organisation) Ashok Koul told media that there was no truth in rumours that Jammu and Kashmir would be further bifurcated. 'There is no truth in these rumours. If Jammu had to be separated then it would have been done when Ladakh was separated,' Koul told media in central Kashmir's Ganderbal. Koul also said that they were not against the restoration of statehood to J&K as promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah. 'They have promised its restoration at an appropriate time,' he said. He said that restoration of Article 370 was out of the question. 'The National Conference and Congress should forget about Art support statehood but not the one they seek like Art 370,' he said. The BJP is organising Tiranga rallies across Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the August 15 celebrations. Koul said, 'On August 15 we will participate in government functions and will also unfurl Tricolours on every square. It will be done by the BJP across the country,' he said.

Delhi Police: No nod for INDIA Bloc's ‘Vote Chori' march to Election Commission
Delhi Police: No nod for INDIA Bloc's ‘Vote Chori' march to Election Commission

India Today

time30 minutes ago

  • India Today

Delhi Police: No nod for INDIA Bloc's ‘Vote Chori' march to Election Commission

The Delhi Police on Sunday claimed that the INDIA Bloc has not sought permission to hold a march to the Election Commission of India headquarters in New Delhi on Monday, August to sources within the Delhi Police, no application had been received till Sunday from the INDIA Bloc for the protest march scheduled for of Parliament from the opposition INDIA Bloc will march to the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters in New Delhi to protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls and alleged election The MPs will be led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who has demamded that the election commission release digital voter rolls so that people and parties can audit them. "Vote Chori is an attack on the foundational idea of 'one man, one vote'. A clean voter roll is imperative for free and fair elections. Our demand from the EC is clear - be transparent and release digital voter rolls so that people and parties can audit them," tweeted Rahul Gandhi. The Congress has also launched an online campaign against the alleged 'vote chori'. Sharing the link to portal and a phone number, the Congress leader has urged people to register themselves with the initiative. "This fight is to protect our democracy," wrote Gandhi. Meanwhile, the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has written to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, asking him to submit documents supporting his allegation that a voter cast her ballot twice in last year's Lok Sabha the letter, the CEO referred to Gandhi's recent press conference, where he claimed that certain documents in his presentation were 'EC data' and alleged that voter Shakun Rani had voted twice based on records 'given by the polling officer.' The letter mentioned Rahul Gandhi saying, 'Es ID card par do baar vote laga hai, wo jo tick hai, polling booth ke officer ki hai. (This ID has been used to vote twice, the tick marks were made by polling booth officer)'.'You are kindly requested to provide the relevant documents on the basis of which you have concluded that Shakun Rani or anyone else has voted twice, so that a detailed enquiry can be conducted,' the letter GANDHI'S ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE ELECTION COMMISSIONIn a sharp attack on the Election Commission, Rahul Gandhi recently accused the poll body of colluding with the BJP to 'steal elections' in the country. Addressing the press, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha alleged that fake names were being added to voter lists and presented electoral rolls from Karnataka's Mahadevapura assembly segment in Bangalore Central as there was 'bhayankar chori' (massive theft) of votes, Rahul Gandhi alleged that out of 6.5 lakh votes in the constituency, over one lakh were fraudulent. According to him, Congress's internal research found 11,965 duplicate voters, 40,009 with fake or invalid addresses, 10,452 'bulk voters' using the same address, and 4,132 with invalid photos. He further claimed that 33,692 voters had misused Form 6 meant for new registrations. - EndsMust Watch

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store