BJP Denies Rahul’s Ink Charges

The remarks came after Opposition leaders claimed that the ink mark on voters’ fingers could be removed easily, potentially enabling bogus voting. In response, the Maharashtra State Election Commission on Thursday said it would conduct a thorough probe into the quality of the ink used in the civic polls.

Gandhi shared a media report on X highlighting Opposition concerns over fading ink and said public trust in the electoral process was eroding. “Election Commission gaslighting citizens is how trust has collapsed in our democracy. Vote chori is an anti-national act,” he wrote.

The BJP hit back sharply. BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused Gandhi of misleading people and trying to discredit the Maharashtra civic polls, questioning whether the Congress leader was “accepting defeat before counting ends.”

Another BJP spokesperson, Pradeep Bhandari, said the Congress routinely raises allegations to avoid scrutiny and claimed such charges fail both legally and in public opinion. He also alleged that the Opposition was searching for excuses in the face of likely defeat in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed the allegations circulating on social media, where videos purportedly showed the ink being removed using chemicals such as acetone.

The BJP has repeatedly termed Gandhi’s vote theft allegations baseless and questioned why the Opposition has not challenged election outcomes in court.