MIM Won on Bogus Votes, Congress Hypocritical on Voter List, Says BJP President Rao
Rao pointed out that Congress leaders themselves had alleged massive irregularities in voter lists in the Old City and other parts in 2018.
HYDERABAD: BJP Telangana president N. Ramchandra Rao on Tuesday accused the AIMIM of winning elections in the Old City for years on the basis of fake and bogus votes, with the BRS and the Congress colluding with the party for political benefit. He said the AIMIM was now "squirming in fear" as the voter list purification was reportedly shaking its foundations.
Addressing a press conference, Rao alleged that the moment AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi made a phone call, the 'Revanthuddin' government registered illegal cases against BJP workers who submitted forms seeking deletion of voters strictly according to rules. "As a responsible political party, we have every right to submit forms to verify votes. If you obstruct the legal process and frame cases against our workers, the BJP will not remain a silent spectator," Rao warned, recalling the call centres and helplines set up at Darussalam and mosques.
"Submitting Form-7 is not a crime. Merely submitting an application does not result in immediate deletion of votes," he said, explaining that election officials must issue notice, conduct ground-level inquiry, and hold physical hearings before any decision.
Rao pointed out that Congress leaders themselves had alleged massive irregularities in voter lists in the Old City and other parts in 2018. He said on September 17, 2018, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi had alleged 70 lakh discrepancies in Telangana's voter list, while Rahul Gandhi had demanded removal of fake votes claiming up to one lakh bogus voters in every Assembly segment.
Refuting Congress leader Pawan Khera's claim that 13.3 crore votes were deleted nationwide, Rao clarified that 71 per cent of them, or 9.5 crore, were absent or shifted, 20 per cent (2.7 crore) were dead, and 7.6 per cent (nearly 1 crore) were duplicate entries.
Rao accused Congress of creating anarchy in the country with a "blind obsession" to make Rahul Gandhi Prime Minister, calling upon Telangana people to repulse the "poisonous propaganda" of Congress and Majlis parties.