New Delhi: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday lambasted Rahul Gandhi over his claims of election rigging in Maharashtra, calling it a “predictable script” the Congress employs after electoral defeats, portraying itself as a victim of a fabricated system.
The Congress leader called it a “blueprint for rigging democracy.” He outlined a five-step process he claims was used to steal the election—ranging from manipulating the Election Commission’s appointment process to adding fake voters and selectively targeting bogus voting to benefit the BJP.
“It’s not hard to see why the BJP was so desperate in Maharashtra. But rigging is like match-fixing – the side that cheats might win the game, but damages institutions and destroys public faith in the result. All concerned Indians must see the evidence. Judge for themselves. Demand answers. Because the match-fixing of Maharashtra will come to Bihar next, and then anywhere the BJP is losing. Match-fixed elections are a poison for any democracy,” he added.
Defending India’s democratic institutions, Dharmendra dismissed Rahul’s claims as stemming from “the insecurities of a dynast who refuses to accept repeated electoral verdicts”. He further stated that the real history of electoral manipulation lies with the Congress, citing the Emergency and repeated misuse of Article 356 to dismiss opposition governments..
The Union Minister also recalled LoP’s remarks at Cambridge University that “Indian democracy is dead”, saying yet the Congress MP “participates in elections, campaigns freely, and blames EVMs only when he loses”.
On the barrage of attacks towards the Election Commission, Dharmendra asserted that it was the Narendra Modi government that reformed the process by including the LoP in the panel, which did not exist during decades of Congress rule. “Rahul Gandhi should introspect—match-fixing isn’t when you lose badly; it’s when you try to discredit the umpire because the public refuses to vote for you,” he added.
The ECI also dismissed Rahul’s accusations of “match-fixing” in elections, labelling them as “completely absurd”.
“Any misinformation being spread, by anyone, is not only a sign of disrespect towards Law, but also brings disrepute to the thousands of representatives appointed by their own political party and demotivates lakhs of election staff who work untiringly and transparently during elections. After any unfavourable verdict by the voters, trying to defame the Election Commission by saying that it is compromised, is completely absurd,” the statement added.
Point-Wise Rebuttal
1. Voting Turnout Clarification: The casting of 65 lakh votes in the final two hours is not unusual, as hourly voting trends suggest up to 116 lakh voters could have cast votes during that period.
2. Polling Booth Oversight: Voting was conducted in the presence of polling agents from political parties. No valid objections were raised by INC or its agents during scrutiny before election officials.
3. Electoral Roll Preparation: Rolls were prepared per legal norms and shared with all political parties, including the INC, as part of the annual Special Summary Revision.
4. Low Number of Appeals: Out of over 9.77 crore electors, only 90 appeals were filed, indicating no significant grievances were raised regarding the rolls by INC or any other party.
5. Extensive Party Participation: Over 1 lakh booth-level agents, including 27,099 from INC, were appointed during the roll revision process, ensuring transparency.
6. Previous Clarification Issued: ECI had already responded to INC’s concerns on December 24, 2024, and all facts are available on its website. Repeating these allegations disregards established facts and the rule of law.