Congress alleges deletion of 27 lakh voters, calls BJP rule 'stolen election'

Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K. C. Venugopal on Wednesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of undermining democracy through what he called a ‘stolen election.’ Speaking at a press conference in Kolkata, Venugopal alleged that the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls had resulted in the deletion of over 27 lakh voters, thereby stripping millions of their voting rights.

‘How can you call this government a democratically elected government? More than 27 lakh voters have been deleted from the voters' list. This is a stolen election, not a democratic mandate,’ Venugopal said.

The Congress leader further alleged that central investigative agencies are being selectively used against opposition leaders. He cited instances where charges against individuals joining the BJP were dropped. ‘We have seen that whenever corrupt people join the BJP, the charges against them disappear. This is the same tactic. That is why I have said agencies like the CBI, ED and the Income Tax Department are being weaponised to target Opposition parties,’ he said.

Venugopal also asserted that authoritarian politics ultimately fails and that India was ‘waiting for that moment.’ He reiterated the Congress party's commitment to protecting democratic institutions. ‘Wherever democracy is in danger, Congress will stand there to protect it. The BJP is trying to hijack the country's constitutional institutions. We will unite to protect them and uphold the Constitution,’ he said.

In addition, Venugopal questioned the BJP's silence over allegations of misuse of donations received for the Ayodhya Ram Temple. ‘For years, the BJP-RSS politics revolved around polarisation and the Ram Mandir. But today, when allegations regarding misuse of temple donations have surfaced, why are they silent? If they claim to speak for Hinduism, they must answer these questions. The BJP should come clean on the Ayodhya temple trust,’ he said.

The Election Commission of India has not yet responded to the allegations. The BJP has dismissed similar claims in the past, stating that electoral roll revisions are routine and carried out under statutory provisions.

This development comes ahead of key state elections and the 2024 general elections, where electoral integrity remains a contentious issue. Congress has consistently raised concerns over the use of investigative agencies against opposition figures, while the BJP maintains that all actions are based on legal merit.