Hyderabad: BJP vice-president Ram Madhav on Thursday, November 5, alleged that the real intention of Congress in spreading the ‘vote chori’ (vote theft) narrative is to show that BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been elected to power through unfair means.

Unable to win the electoral battle with BJP, the Congress is trying to mislead people by claiming that its defeats were due to ‘vote chori’, EVMs, or the Election Commission, he said.

“The real intention of Congress leadership is not only to find fault with the Election Commission or CEC Gyanesh Kumar. Congress leadership is trying to apply a taint to the great democratic history of India. The attempt is also to show that the election of the BJP and Modi, who came to power with the blessings of crores of people, was through the wrong way,” he told reporters here.

‘Indira Gandhi tried to murder democracy’

Dismissing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s charge that PM Modi is winning elections by damaging democracy, he said former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi faced allegations of adopting undemocratic means for winning elections.

Indira Gandhi tried to “murder democracy” by imposing an emergency in the country after the Allahabad High Court gave a verdict that she won elections through wrong methods, he said.

Rajiv Gandhi, along with the then Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, used wrong methods in the elections in Jammu and Kashmir in 1987, which led to a rise in militancy, he alleged.

“It is laughable that Rahul Gandhi forgets this history and spreads disinformation that BJP is winning elections through unfair means,” Madhav said.

‘Cong wins with support of illegal immigrants’

Regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, he recalled that former Union Home Minister Indrajit Gupta had said that 1.25 crore illegal immigrants were in the country.

Why is Congress so concerned when names of illegal immigrants, shifted, dead and duplicate voters are removed from the electoral rolls?, he asked.

“Congress is habituated to winning elections with the support of illegal immigrants,” he said.

On the charge that the names of 13 crore voters have been removed in the country, he said this includes six crore shifted voters, about three crore dead voters, about one crore duplicate voters, and due process is underway regarding about two crore voters.

The Congress opposing purification of rolls shows its bankruptcy, he said.

‘Only comedians can debate with Rahul Gandhi’

Ridiculing Rahul Gandhi for seeking a debate with PM Modi outside Parliament, he said only Bollywood comedian Johny Lever or popular Telugu comedian Brahmanandam can debate with the former.

“Where is the Leader of Opposition supposed to debate with the ruling party? It should be in Parliament. For a debate with him (Rahul Gandhi), we have to send either Johny Lever or Brahmanandam. How can we debate on the streets?” he asked.

Though the NDA government is ready to convene a special session, Rahul Gandhi is not showing interest. “He has already gone to the US,” Madhav said.

Rahul Gandhi only makes sudden appearance in LS

Taking a swipe at Rahul Gandhi’s foreign visits, he said the LoP in Lok Sabha makes a sudden appearance and claims that “democracy is in danger”.

Pooh-poohing AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge seeking elections using ballot papers, he said the BJP won 16 of the recent MLC polls from 28 seats using ballot papers, while Congress could win only one.

Congress drew a blank in the ongoing local body polls in Andhra Pradesh, where ballot papers were used.

The question is not about EVMs, ballot papers or Gyanesh Kumar, but about the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and the fact that people do not have faith in him and Congress, he said.

‘Gandhi an asset for us’

“It is better for them (Congress) if they change their attitude. In fact, he is a big asset for us. If he (Rahul Gandhi) leads the party like this, we will continue to win. I say our star campaigners are Modi, Amit Shah and Rahul Gandhi,” Madhav said.

Claiming that the BJP is the natural party for power in Telangana, as it supported the state’s formation in the 1990s itself, he said the BJP is striving to emerge as the alternative to the ruling Congress in the 2028 assembly elections.

Taking a jibe at BRS, he said some other parties are hopeful of returning to power in the state, but they are like “iron legs” (unlucky).

In a veiled criticism against BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao, the BJP leader said the former, when he was chief minister, met Mamata Banerjee, Naveen Patnaik, Pinarayi Vijayan and M K Stalin to form a Third Front, and all of them lost power.