Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made a striking allegation on Wednesday, claiming that every sixth BJP MP in the Lok Sabha won their seat through ‘vote chori,’ or vote theft. He provocatively asked if these individuals should be labelled ‘ghuspethiya‘—an expression from within the BJP’s own lexicon—during his remarks posted on X.
The former Congress president asserted that the BJP would struggle to secure even 140 seats in a fair election, emphasizing the credibility issues surrounding the party’s election victories.
“Through vote theft, sometimes individual seats are stolen, and at other times, an entire government. Of the 240 BJP MPs in the Lok Sabha, roughly every sixth MP secured their seat through vote chori,” Gandhi stated, aiming to expose what he terms the corrupt practices in Indian politics.
In his scathing criticism of the BJP, Gandhi noted, “They are not hard to identify – should we, in the BJP’s own parlance, label them ‘ghuspethiya’? And what about Haryana? There, the entire government itself is an ‘ghuspethiya’. They manipulate institutions to distort voter lists and the electoral process.”
Gandhi’s remarks came on the heels of Tuesday’s statements where he described the BJP’s victories in Bengal and Assam assembly polls as evidence of a “theft” of the democratic mandate. He framed these events as a significant step in the BJP’s mission to “destroy” democracy in India.
Furthermore, Gandhi expressed solidarity with the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which faced a substantial defeat against the BJP in West Bengal. He reached out to those celebrating the TMC’s loss, urging them to rise above petty politics.
“Some in the Congress, and others, are gloating about TMC’s loss. They need to understand this clearly – the theft of Assam and Bengal’s mandate is a big step forward by the BJP in its mission to destroy Indian democracy,” Gandhi stated.
He reiterated, “Put petty politics aside. This is not about one party or another. This is about India,” highlighting the importance of protecting democratic values over party gains.
The BJP’s recent electoral performances have been a subject of intense debate. Following the assembly poll results declared on Monday, the BJP ousted the Trinamool Congress from power in Bengal and secured a third consecutive term in Assam.
As the political landscape evolves ahead of upcoming elections, Rahul Gandhi’s allegations may alter the public perception surrounding BJP’s legitimacy. His aggressive stance emphasizes the need for transparency and integrity in India’s electoral system.