Priyanka Gandhi cries ‘vote theft’, dares BJP to win election using ballot paper

New Delhi: Daring the BJP to win an election using ballot paper, Congress General Secretary and MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday lashed out at the ruling party for alleged “vote chori” (vote theft) and called upon people to revolt against alleged electoral irregularities.

Addressing the Congress party’s “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhor” rally at Ramlila Maidan here, the Wayanad MP said, “It is very important to understand what a vote is. What is its value in our lives?”

“A vote is your right to elect a government and bring it down,” she said, alleging that attempts are being made to take away this right from people.

“When Rahulji and Khargeji sought a debate in Parliament on vote theft through EVMs, they got scared,” she said.

She also accused the government of diverting public attention to avoid discussion in Parliament on public issues like inflation, unemployment and paper leak. “The government has failed on multiple fronts,” she said.

“They do not have the guts to discuss these issues because they know that they cannot win even a single fair election – using ballot paper,” said Priyanka Gandhi.

Urging Congress supporters not to feel disheartened by the party’s defeat in the Bihar elections, she said, “As Rahul Gandhi said in a press conference, they win only through vote theft.”

She said they won by deleting the names of 65 lakh voters through the process of Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar.

Priyanka Gandhi said Rahul Gandhi had earlier highlighted malpractices in elections in Haryana, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Targeting the Election Commission of India (ECI) for allowing rival parties to violate the model code of conduct, the Congress General Secretary said, “They were delivering Rs 10,000 even while the model code was in force and the ECI was looking the other way. If this is not ‘vote chori’, what else will be?”

She said that the judiciary, media, parliament, political parties, the Opposition and the Election Commission are made to protect democracy.

“But these institutions are being crushed, and it needs a collective fight by the people to save these institutions and safeguard their own future,” she said.

Priyanka Gandhi said that in the previous elections, Chief Ministers were jailed, the Congress party’s bank account was frozen, and all sorts of allegations were levelled to force rivals to join their party.

IANS