Unproven 'vote theft' claims by Congress will lead to more defeats.
BJP MLA Atul Bhosale exposes Congress's Prithviraj Chavan aides voting multiply in 2024 Maharashtra polls.
Demands voter rolls, CCTV for anomalies like 29,219 new voters in Fadnavis's seat, claims stalled probes protect 'vote chors'.
Fadnavis Warns Congress's Baseless 'Vote Theft' Claims Will Invite More Defeats
CM counters Rahul Gandhi's allegations, cites ECI's challenge for proof and BJP MLA's exposure of Congress irregularities in 2024 polls
Summary
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that the Congress party's unsubstantiated accusations of "vote theft" in recent elections would only result in further electoral losses, urging the opposition to introspect rather than rely on conspiracy theories. Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Fadnavis described such claims as a desperate attempt to console defeated workers and avoid self-analysis, emphasizing that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has repeatedly challenged the Congress to provide evidence, which it has failed to do.
Fadnavis's remarks come amid ongoing controversy sparked by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's repeated allegations of "vote chori" (vote theft) in the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections, as well as in Haryana, Karnataka, and now Bihar. Gandhi has demanded the release of machine-readable digital voter rolls and CCTV footage, citing anomalies like a 29,219-voter increase in Fadnavis's Nagpur South West constituency between the 2024 Lok Sabha and assembly polls. A Vote for Democracy (VFD) report on August 16 flagged irregularities in Maharashtra's polls, but Fadnavis countered by referencing BJP MLA Atul Bhosale's revelations from Satara district, where evidence showed relatives and aides of former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan allegedly casting votes in multiple constituencies during the November 2024 election.
The Chief Minister labeled Gandhi a "serial liar" and accused the Congress of hypocrisy, noting that the ECI's June 12 letter to Gandhi affirmed elections were conducted per law, with no rigging found. Fadnavis highlighted Congress wins in constituencies like West Nagpur, North Nagpur, Vadgaon Sheri, Malad West, and Mumbra despite similar voter list growths, questioning the selective outrage. He invoked a Hindi proverb, "Jhooth bole kauwa kaate, kaale kauwe se dariyo", to mock Gandhi's claims and stressed that continuous lies insult the Constitution, judiciary, and ECI, predicting Bihar voters would reject them in favor of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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