Bhubaneswar: Congress on Thursday announced the launch of a Mashal Yatra across Odisha to protest alleged electoral fraud in the 2024 Assembly elections.
The protest, which aims to “save democracy and protect the people’s mandate,” will be carried out in all districts of the state on Thursday, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das told reporters.
Alleging serious irregularities in the voter list, Das questioned the polling pattern, claiming that around 42 lakh votes were cast between 5 pm and 9 pm.
The PCC chief further sought to know as to why the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), despite winning 51 Assembly seats, failed to secure even a single Lok Sabha seat.
Comparing the results to the 2009 elections, he pointed out that congress had then won Lok Sabha seats in proportion to its assembly performance, whereas the BJD this time had no such proportional representation.
Das said the Mashal Yatra will continue across Odisha as part of the Congress’ campaign to “restore the sanctity of democratic processes”.
It may be noted that Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has alleged that multiple voters were registered at the same address, and accused the BJP of “stealing votes” in connivance with the poll authorities.
The Congress leader claimed to have shared data supporting his charge, but the Election Commission of India (ECI) is insisting on an affidavit.
The Commission has reportedly noted that if anyone has any proof of any person actually voting twice in any election, it should be shared with ECI with a written affidavit rather than colouring all the electors of India as ‘Chor’ without any proof.
Rahul Gandhi had on August 7 accused the BJP of adding fake names to voter rolls, citing examples from Karnataka, and claimed a “massive theft of votes” in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment of the Bangalore Central Lok Sabha seat.
The Commission has already rejected such allegations as baseless and misleading.
Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has also said it will move Orissa High Court over alleged voting discrepancies during the Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections in the state last year.
