Cong’s Distrust Of EC Questionable: BJP MP
Rao pointed out that no doubts were raised over EVMs when Congress secured victories in Karnataka, Telangana or when Priyanka Gandhi won in Wayanad.
Hyderabad:Medak MP M. Raghunandan Rao criticised the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for repeatedly blaming the Election Commission of India (ECI) for electoral defeats, expressing dismay at what he called the opposition’s distrust of democratic institutions.
He accused Congress of double standards, noting that it accepts Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) when it wins but questions their credibility when it loses, as in the case of the anticipated setback in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. Rao pointed out that no doubts were raised over EVMs when Congress secured victories in Karnataka, Telangana or when Priyanka Gandhi won in Wayanad.
Recalling electoral history, Rao said it was Rajiv Gandhi who, after the 1989 defeat, recognised the flaws of ballot papers and introduced EVMs, starting with a pilot project in Hyderabad’s Shadnagar constituency — a move he described as a milestone for transparency.
Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s recent remark that he was “unfortunately” elected as an MP, Rao challenged him to resign from Rae Bareli and recontest using ballot papers, saying the BJP would welcome it. He also asked whether Congress had ever conducted a scientific study comparing ballot papers and EVMs.
The MP alleged that Congress has been opposing voter roll revisions aimed at removing illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators, calling it a disregard for democracy and national security.
On the issue of fraudulent votes, Rao claimed that Rae Bareli’s voter list included over 2,00,000 doubtful entries and nearly 72,000 fake addresses. He said the BJP would petition the Election Commission to cancel Rahul Gandhi’s election on these grounds.
