Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Rajya Sabha MP GVL Narasimha Rao on Friday dismissed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of “vote theft,” arguing that a study of India’s electoral history shows the Congress’ decline long predates Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rise.
Calling Gandhi’s claims “bereft of basis,” Rao noted that Congress’ dominance began eroding after its peak in the 1984 Lok Sabha elections, when the party under Rajiv Gandhi won 49.1% of the vote share and 404 seats. “From 1989 onwards, the party’s downfall was steady, culminating in its worst performance in 2014, when it managed only 44 seats with a 19.5% vote share,” Rao said in an article.
He further questioned Gandhi’s narrative by pointing to past political rivals who defeated Congress over the years. “Should VP Singh, who dethroned Congress in 1989, be labelled ‘Vote Chor Number 1’? Should Rahul Gandhi call leaders like Jyoti Basu, Mamata Banerjee, or even his own allies like Sharad Pawar, Lalu Prasad Yadav, and MK Stalin, vote thieves too?” Rao asked.
Highlighting Congress’ shrinking footprint across states like Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, the BJP leader accused the party of hypocrisy for allying with regional players it once branded adversaries. “Fake narratives and shoot-and-scoot politics may fetch headlines, but they cannot erase historical facts,” he added, stressing that Modi’s victory in 2014 was merely the “final nail in the coffin” of an already declining Congress.
Rahul Gandhi, however, has reiterated his charge of “vote theft.” At a press conference in August, the Leader of Opposition accused the Election Commission of India of complicity in voter fraud, claiming Congress had “explosive evidence” to back its case. “The slogan ‘vote chor, gaddi chor’ is echoing across the country. Governments are being formed by stealing votes, and we will prove it,” Gandhi said.