Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Sep 18: Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Thursday strongly rejected Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of voter manipulation in Karnataka’s Aland constituency, accusing him of spreading “lies” for media attention.
“Rahul Gandhi is a liar. He says vote theft happens, but that is not true,” Athawale told in response to Gandhi’s press conference earlier in the day. “There was a time when Congress got votes and came to power, but since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came, he has become the country’s Prime Minister three times, and the Opposition has lost three times.”
Gandhi had claimed that large-scale deletions of Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Class (OBC) voters took place in Congress-dominated booths during the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, accusing the Election Commission of India (ECI) of being complicit through a "centralised system" of fake logins.
Athawale dismissed the claims outright, stating: “This doesn't happen. The largest number of voters are from SC, ST, OBC communities, many of whom live in slums. Their voting strength is the highest, and they are the ones who vote the most.”
He urged Gandhi to lodge a formal complaint if he believed wrongdoing had occurred, rather than repeatedly making accusations through press conferences. “If vote theft happens, he can go and formally register a complaint, but he will not do that,” Athawale added.
Criticising Gandhi’s approach as politically ineffective, Athawale said: “Such tactics will only bring temporary media coverage but no real political benefit. As a Leader of Opposition, he should also acknowledge the many achievements this (Modi) government has brought in. By constantly doing this, Rahul Gandhi is only lowering his own value.”
Gandhi, however, remained non-committal when pressed by reporters about whether he would take legal recourse or submit a formal complaint to the ECI, choosing instead to double down on his criticism of the electoral body.
The sharp exchange comes amid heightened political tensions ahead of upcoming state elections and the 2026 Lok Sabha polls.