BJP targets Congress over 'history of electoral manipulation' from 1952 to present

New Delhi, Aug 13 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Congress, accusing it of being the “mother of electoral fraud” and citing a series of alleged manipulations in elections dating back to the early years of independent India.

In a social media post on X accompanied by an infographic, the BJP listed five instances between 1952 and 1987, claiming that Congress leaders, including former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, engaged in malpractices to secure victories.

The party alleged that such practices continue even today, asserting that “the Congress’s assault on democracy is still ongoing.”

According to the BJP’s post, the first instance occurred in 1952, when Congress and Communist leaders 'colluded' to defeat Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in elections.

The second cited example was from 1957, when Congress supporters allegedly carried out India’s first-ever booth capturing in Begusarai, Bihar.

The post further accused the Congress of manipulating the 1967 Jammu & Kashmir elections, claiming that opposition nominations were rejected en masse, allowing the party to win 61 seats uncontested.

The BJP also targeted former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, alleging that she secured her 1975 Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat through rigging, an election result later challenged in court, leading to the imposition of the Emergency. Another incident mentioned was from 1987, when the Congress, in alliance with the National Conference, allegedly rigged the Jammu & Kashmir Assembly elections - an event often cited by analysts as a trigger for the beginning of insurgency in the valley.

Alongside images of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi, the BJP captioned the post: “The mother of electoral fraud is Congress”, adding the slogan, “Congress’s attack on democracy - 1952, 1957, 1967, 1975, 1987… still continuing.”

The BJP’s fresh offensive comes amid an increasingly heated political climate, with both parties trading barbs over each other’s democratic credentials in the run-up to key state elections in Bihar and the next year's assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.

--IANS

sas/dan