Amit Shah Tells BJP Workers In Bihar To Counter INDIA Bloc’s 'Vote Theft' Claim

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday urged BJP workers in Bihar to counter what he called the INDIA bloc’s “false narrative” of vote theft by warning voters that rampant “infiltration is likely” if the opposition comes to power.

Addressing a workers’ conclave about 50 kilometres from Patna weeks ahead of the assembly elections, Shah targeted the Congress, RJD and the Left combine and urged party cadres to aim for “not just a simple victory but a massive two-thirds majority” in the 243-member Bihar assembly.

Referring to Rahul Gandhi’s “Voter Adhikar Yatra”, which concluded last month, Shah alleged the tour’s aim was to protect infiltrators from Bangladesh. “Should the infiltrators have the right to vote in our country? Should they have access to all the benefits that the citizens enjoy?” he asked, evoking roars of a resounding “no” from the attendees, PTI reported.

Shah said Rahul Gandhi and his allies wanted the infiltrators, “who are their vote bank”, in his words, to be given jobs meant for our youths, pucca houses and the free medical treatment we provide our citizens with. He told workers they must “fan out across the state, visit every house, and tell the people that if they (INDIA bloc parties) come to power, even by fluke, every district in Bihar will be teeming with infiltrators”, PTI reported.

He described Gandhi’s allegation of vote theft as a “false narrative”, saying opposition parties had previously used similar tactics by alleging the BJP intended to scrap reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs. “Have the quotas for SCs, STs and OBCs been tinkered with? I can assure you that as long as there is even one BJP member in Parliament, reservations cannot be scrapped,” he said.

Observers noted the remarks come amid the BJP’s outreach to deprived castes, as the party has traditionally been perceived as representing upper castes.

Shah opened his more than 20-minute speech by recalling a telephone conversation with a journalist earlier in the day. When asked why he was holding a workers’ conclave rather than a public rally, he said the BJP is a workers-driven organisation rather than a party that depends only on leaders. “I had myself started off as a booth-level worker and went on to become the national president,” he said, PTI reported.

Workers from 10 districts of the Magadh-Shahabad region attended the conclave. Shah acknowledged that the NDA’s performance in the last assembly polls was “not up to the mark” and exhorted party workers to secure “an 80 per cent strike rate for ourselves as well as our alliance partners”.

He urged cadres to ensure the victory of the NDA in Bihar under Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, and said the state had gained from central schemes such as the Ayushman Bharat Yojana and Jan Dhan bank accounts. He also praised the chief minister for measures including providing 125 units of free electricity each month.

In a veiled reference to Rahul Gandhi, Shah contrasted Prime Minister Narendra Modi with other leaders: “Our leader is someone who works for the people without ever going on a holiday. In sharp contrast with others who tend to grow restless unless they enjoy a trip abroad every six months. And you know who I am talking about,” he said, PTI reported.

(With inputs from PTI)