Baghel calls CEC a 'pawn' in Modi-Shah conspiracy
Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel accuses PM Modi and Amit Shah of benefiting from ECI irregularities and 'vote theft'.
Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel has launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is acting as a mere "pawn" in a massive political conspiracy. Baghel claimed that the ultimate beneficiaries of alleged "vote theft" are Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Congress to take 'vote theft' fight to the public
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Baghel emphasized that the Congress party has decided to escalate its battle against electoral discrepancies by taking the issue directly to the citizens. He stated that the party's primary objective remains the removal of PM Modi from power.
The Congress leader highlighted that these strategic decisions were finalized during a recent Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, which was attended by top leadership including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi. "We will fight this battle until this vote theft is stopped," Baghel asserted. "Gyanesh Kumar is just a pawn. Vote theft is being carried out through him. In reality, the beneficiaries are Modi and Shah."
Demands for CEC resignation and electoral roll restoration
This outburst follows a significant resolution passed by the Congress Working Committee on September 29 at the AICC headquarters. The party has issued several high-stakes demands, including:
- Immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
- Suspension of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
- Restoration of approximately 13 crore 30 lakh names that the party alleges have been illegally removed from the rolls.
The Congress party maintains that these developments validate previous warnings issued by Rahul Gandhi regarding "Vote Chori" (vote theft). The party has raised serious concerns over several systemic issues, such as:
- The selective enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct.
- The integrity of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
- Unexplained additions and deletions in electoral rolls.
- The revised process for appointing the CEC.
- The provision of lifelong immunity to the CEC.
BJP hits back at Congress allegations
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has responded sharply to these accusations. The ruling party accused the Congress leadership of attempting to undermine constitutional bodies and questioning the integrity of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to deflect from their own electoral losses.