Former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Uma Bharti on Friday strongly criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his repeated allegations of “vote theft” against the BJP and the Election Commission, stressing that elections are won by gaining the trust of voters, not through institutions.
In an interview with ANI, the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said the Congress’s repeated poll setbacks reflect its inability to connect with the electorate. “Rahul Gandhi should think before speaking—or take homoeopathic medicine to improve his memory. Elections are not won by the Election Commission; they are won by winning people’s hearts,” Bharti remarked.
She accused Rahul Gandhi of disrespecting national pride, citing his criticism of the armed forces, his stance on restoring Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, and his absence from the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya despite being invited. “The Congress party is being wiped out because it cannot win people’s confidence,” she added.
Drawing parallels with the 1977 elections after the Emergency, Bharti recalled how then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assured by her advisors that fear and control would guarantee her victory, yet the electorate delivered a shock defeat. “When voters decide whom to elect, nobody can steal a mandate. All power lies with the people,” she stressed.
Rahul Gandhi has been reiterating his “vote chori” claims during the Voter Adhikar Yatra in poll-bound Bihar, citing alleged discrepancies in Karnataka’s Mahadevapura assembly segment during the Lok Sabha elections. Addressing a rally in Siwan on Friday, he said the people of Bihar would not allow “vote theft” in the state.
Opposition parties in Bihar have also criticized the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging irregularities in the process.
Several BJP leaders have earlier dismissed Rahul Gandhi’s claims as baseless, and Bharti’s remarks add to the chorus of rebuttals from the ruling party.
Uma Bharti, who has had a long political career marked by highs and setbacks, remains a prominent voice in the BJP. After leading the party to victory in Madhya Pradesh in 2003, she later returned to Parliament from Jhansi in 2014 and served as a Cabinet minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government before stepping away from electoral politics in 2019.
