News Desk
08 August 2025, 03:05 PM IST
He accused Gandhi of using threatening language against the EC and peddling lies after electoral losses. The BJP leader challenged Gandhi to submit an affidavit to the EC if he had genuine concerns
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday dismissed Rahul Gandhi’s recent allegations of electoral fraud as baseless, saying his claims resemble someone “cutting the branch one is sitting on.” The party accused the Congress leader of undermining constitutional institutions and using “arrogant and threatening” language against the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Prepared lies to serve a narrative
Union Minister Bhupender Yadav led the BJP’s charge, asserting that Gandhi’s claims about increased voter numbers during the Maharashtra Assembly elections were factually incorrect. Gandhi had stated that one crore new voters participated in the Assembly polls compared to the Lok Sabha elections, but Yadav countered that official Election Commission data showed an increase of only over 40 lakh voters.
“He had prepared for a long time to make his case, but the foundational logic of his allegation has turned out to be incorrect,” Yadav said, accusing the Congress leader of having “prepared lies to serve a narrative.”
Taking a swipe at Gandhi’s credibility, Yadav said, “His every claim should be discounted by 60 percent from now on.”
He pointed out several constituencies, including Madha, Mohol, Nagpur West and Nagpur North, where the Congress and its allies emerged victorious, despite the number of voters increasing in these very seats. “The Congress and its allies won most of their seats where the number of voters had increased,” Yadav added.
‘Language unbecoming of a leader of opposition’
Yadav criticised Gandhi’s tone during his recent public address, saying, “He used language unbecoming of the Leader of Opposition,” particularly while warning Election Commission officials of consequences for their alleged involvement in favouring the ruling party.
He added, “If the Congress leader has real objections to the polling process, then he should file an affidavit on oath to the EC.”
Referring to Rahul’s Gandhi’s recent claims as a supposed “atom bomb” of evidence, Yadav mocked the presentation as a failure, stating, “It was like the case of someone cutting the branch one is sitting on.”
Yadav further accused the Congress of deliberately disrupting Parliament to avoid debate on the Special Intensive Review of electoral rolls in Bihar. “The Congress is trying to belittle our constitutional bodies in a systematic way for a family,” he alleged.
Repeated attempts to tarnish institutions
He also linked Gandhi’s past statements to what he claimed was a trend of targeting independent institutions. “He had earlier demeaned the armed forces as well. He had to apologise to the Supreme Court for making wrong claims.”
“Institutions like the armed forces, Parliament or the Election Commission are autonomous and work independently. Anyone following the Constitution should not use threatening language against them,” Yadav said.
Gandhi’s explosive allegations
Rahul Gandhi had, on Thursday, cited a data analysis from a Karnataka Lok Sabha constituency to claim “huge criminal fraud” during the 2024 elections, allegedly orchestrated by the BJP in collusion with the Election Commission. He further claimed that the Maharashtra Assembly polls were “rigged” to ensure victory for the BJP-led alliance.
PTI inputs
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