New Delhi [India], June 8: BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Sunday hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his allegations of electoral rigging, claiming the remarks reflect the Congress party’s anticipation of defeat in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
“After the kind of statements Rahul Gandhi and his party have made about the Indian Army, it’s evident they know they’re going to lose in Bihar,” Poonawalla told ANI.
He accused Gandhi of pre-emptively making excuses, saying, “They’ve already started blaming others. The excuses are ready because they can see defeat coming.”
Targeting Gandhi’s criticism of the Election Commission, Poonawalla alleged that the Congress leader believes in “family over the Constitution.”
“The Election Commission has already answered every question with facts—repeatedly. But Rahul Gandhi seems to think his family’s word is above constitutional institutions,” he said.
The BJP leader further said Gandhi’s “match-fixing” allegation is ironic coming from a party he claims has a history of undermining democratic institutions. “Those whose entire family history involves damaging constitutional bodies shouldn’t accuse others of rigging.”
The comments came after Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday, claimed the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections were “rigged” and warned the same could happen in Bihar later this year.
In a detailed post on X, Gandhi outlined a five-step method that he believes was used to manipulate results in Maharashtra:
- Rig the panel appointing the Election Commission.
- Add fake voters to the electoral roll.
- Inflate voter turnout artificially.
- Target bogus votes in key constituencies.
- Hide the evidence.
Calling it “match-fixing,” Gandhi said: “The side that cheats might win, but it damages institutions and erodes public faith in democracy.”
Bihar is set to go to the polls in October–November 2025, with a high-stakes multi-cornered battle expected between the ruling NDA and the opposition’s Mahagathbandhan.