Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of deviating from its core objective of safeguarding the electoral system and instead acting to protect the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) election outcomes. He has termed this a direct assault on India’s democracy.
Irregularities in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections: Surjewala alleged serious irregularities in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. For instance, he claimed that 70 lakh votes were cast in just one hour in Maharashtra. Similarly, in Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha constituency, 65,000 votes were reportedly recorded in a mere 10 minutes. Surjewala described this as “not voting, but hacking.”
Attack on Democracy: Surjewala accused the BJP and the ECI of deliberately violating the fundamental democratic principle of “one person, one vote.” He labeled this as an attack on the Constitution. He also referenced Rahul Gandhi’s revelations about this alleged “vote theft,” calling the disclosures shocking.
Congress’s Pledge to Fight: Surjewala declared that the Congress party would fight this injustice, irregularity, and deceit in courts, on the streets, in Parliament, and in every village and town. He stated, “From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, we will awaken the people and expose this fraud.” He emphasized, “The time for silence is over; the time to resist has come.”
Allegations in Dakshina Kannada: The Congress alleged that relatives of BJP members were politically appointed to the Election Commission in Dakshina Kannada district, undermining the ECI’s autonomy and dignity. Dinesh Mooluru, president of the Scheduled Caste unit of the Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee, made this claim.
BJP’s Political Strategy: Criticizing the BJP, Surjewala highlighted internal conflicts within the party, noting their inability to appoint a state president in Karnataka and select a national president. He accused the central government of withholding ₹1.87 lakh crore in Finance Commission funds for Karnataka and failing to release funds from the National Disaster Relief Fund for flood and drought relief, thereby causing injustice to Kannadigas.
Conclusion: Surjewala’s statements raise serious questions about the Election Commission’s functioning. The Congress party plans to take this issue nationwide. Neither the ECI nor the BJP has issued an official response to these allegations. The information has been gathered from various media sources, but the veracity of these claims requires independent verification.