New Delhi, Aug 8 (PTI) BJP leaders on Friday lashed out at Rahul Gandhi over his “vote theft” charge against it and the Election Commission, with former Rajya Sabha MP G V L Narasimha Rao accusing the Congress leader of making “fraudulent” claims to mislead people.
Gandhi on Thursday made explosive claims of a “huge criminal fraud” in polls through collusion between the BJP and the Election Commission, as he cited an analysis in a constituency in Karnataka and said it was “a crime against the Constitution”.
Accusing Gandhi of “conveniently lying” and “distorting facts”, Rao slammed the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha for making “fraudulent” claims and demanded an apology for misleading people with his “lies”.
“Rahul Gandhi has misled people of the country and media by distorting facts and conveniently lying to give effect to his statements about the so-called vote theft. He has misled people into thinking that the Mahadevapura assembly segment in Bangalore Central parliamentary constituency distorted the entire election,” he said.
The BJP leader termed as “bogus” Gandhi’s claim that more than one lakh fake voters were added in the Mahadevapura assembly segment.
“This is a fraudulent statement. Where did Rahul Gandhi get this number from?” he charged.
Rao said the number of registered electors in the Mahadevapura assembly segment was 6.59 lakh in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections while the number of registered electors in this assembly seat was 6.07 lakh in the 2023 Karnataka assembly elections when the Congress came to power in the state.
“So, there was about an eight to nine per cent increase but not over one lakh as Rahul Gandhi seems to claim,” he said.
The BJP leader also rejected Gandhi’s claim that Mahadevapura was the only assembly segment falling in the Bangalore Central parliamentary seat, where the “BJP won or led”.
“That’s not true. The BJP led in four out of the eight assembly segments in the Bangalore Central parliamentary constituency,” he said.
The BJP leader said when the Congress came to power, winning assembly elections in 2023, the BJP won the Mahadevapura assembly seat.
“Traditionally, Mahadevapura has been a stronghold of the BJP. Therefore, Rahul Gandhi’s fraudulent attempt to paint as if a sudden increase in votes in Mahadevapura caused a BJP victory while the BJP lost in all other seven segments in Bangalore Central is nothing but bunkum,” he added.
BJP MP Jagdambika Pal accused Gandhi of indulging in “irresponsible behaviour” and asked why the Congress leader is not ready to submit the proof of his claims to the Election Commission.
“You levelled such a serious allegation against a constitutional institution and after that you are not ready to give it in writing and its proof. Then, somehow, you are deliberately trying to defame the Election Commission,” he told reporters in the Parliament House complex.
“This hit and run will not work. If he has any proof, he must respond to the Election Commission’s call. Else, you should be ashamed and apologise,” he added.
BJP MP Jagdish Shettar slammed Gandhi for making “vague allegations” and asked why he has not filed any petition in the Election Commission or the court challenging the election of BJP candidate from the Bangalore Central parliamentary seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
“Rahul Gandhi always creates unnecessary propaganda against Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said. PTI PK PK KSS KSS
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