Thane, Aug 10: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday targeted the Opposition Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi over his “vote theft” allegations, saying they should approach the court or the Election Commission if they have a proof.
By making such “baseless claims”, they have insulted the people of Maharashtra, Shiv Sena leader Shinde told reporters at an event here.
Gandhi on Thursday claimed a “huge criminal fraud” in polls through “collusion” between the BJP and the Election Commission, citing an analysis of voter rolls in a constituency in Karnataka last year.
A day after, he alleged that the Election Commission and the BJP colluded to “steal” the Lok Sabha election from the people, and that there was “vote theft” in at least three states.
Gandhi had also alleged that the Maharashtra assembly poll results (last year) confirmed the Congress’s suspicion that the election was ‘stolen’.
Asked about such charges, Shinde, without taking any name, criticised the Opposition for making “wild allegations” in public.
“If they have proof, they should go to the court or the Election Commission. By making such baseless claims, they have insulted the citizens of Maharashtra who elected the Mahayuti (comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP), as well as our sisters, brothers, farmers and the people of the state,” he said.
Soon after Gandhi levelled the charge asserting that “vote chori”(vote theft) is an “atom bomb on our democracy”, the Chief Electoral Officers of Karnataka and Maharashtra had asked the former Congress chief to share names of electors he claimed were “wrong” in the voters’ list along with a signed declaration for poll authorities to initiate “necessary proceedings” in the matter.
The Election Commission on Friday accused Gandhi of recycling old allegations of poll irregularities settled by the Supreme Court, and asked the Congress leader to provide a written declaration on his claims about wrongful entries in the voters’ list or tender an apology.(PTI)
