The BJP criticized Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, for accusing the Election Commission of India of ‘gaslighting’ voters during the Maharashtra civic body elections. BJP leaders suggested that Gandhi’s statements indicate the Congress party is heading towards a significant defeat. They accused Gandhi of habitually blaming institutions or individuals when election results do not favor him.
Responding to Gandhi’s remarks, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari stated that Gandhi’s social media post about ‘vote theft’ reflects his inability to accept electoral outcomes. Bhandari further claimed that emerging trends in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections signal a major setback for the Congress. He criticized Gandhi for consistently blaming external factors for electoral losses.
Another BJP spokesperson, Ajay Alok, also criticized Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of creating baseless narratives repeatedly. Alok highlighted Gandhi’s tendency to invent excuses, such as weak ink, stolen votes, faulty EVMs, and flawed voter lists. He emphasized that the Congress party fails to acknowledge its own shortcomings and has been decisively rejected by the public.
Rahul Gandhi shared concerns over the quality of indelible ink used in the elections, alleging vote theft as an anti-national act. This is not the first time Gandhi has accused authorities of vote theft, having raised similar concerns in various states following electoral defeats. A controversy arose over claims that the indelible ink was easily erasable, leading to a probe by the State Election Commission to address the issue.
Early trends from the Maharashtra civic body elections suggest a favorable outcome for the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance. The BJP was leading in 1,122 wards, with the Shiv Sena ahead in 283 wards across 29 civic bodies. In Mumbai, the BJP-led alliance was leading in 118 wards of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, while the Thackeray brothers were ahead in 78 wards, attempting to reclaim their political base against the alliance.
