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Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to declare that he would not contest an election as long as Gyanesh Kumar remained the Chief Election Commissioner if he genuinely believed that the electoral process was compromised.
He accused the opposition of making allegations of vote theft without providing evidence. Addressing a BJP rally in Shimla, CM Sarma said Rahul Gandhi had repeatedly alleged electoral irregularities but had failed to substantiate his claims. He questioned the Congress leader's continued criticism of the Election Commission and said the opposition should accept the democratic process instead of attempting to discredit constitutional institutions. The Assam Chief Minister said such a declaration would demonstrate whether the Congress leader had confidence in his own allegations. He accused the Congress of using the issue of vote theft to create political confusion and said the BJP would continue to defend the country's democratic institutions. Sarma also questioned the Congress's allegations regarding electoral rolls and asked why the opposition was objecting to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. He said the revision process was intended to identify discrepancies in electoral rolls, including duplicate entries, deceased voters and voters who had shifted their residence. The Chief Minister claimed that the process had identified several categories of entries requiring verification and said the opposition should not oppose efforts to maintain accurate voter lists. He referred to allegations involving deceased voters, duplicate entries and voters who had shifted to other locations, arguing that electoral rolls needed to be updated to ensure that only eligible voters participated in elections. Sarma also questioned the Congress over its demand for ballot paper voting and said the party had repeatedly raised concerns about electronic voting machines after electoral defeats. He said the opposition should explain why it continued to question the voting system despite participating in elections conducted through the same process. The Assam Chief Minister further accused the Congress of attempting to weaken constitutional institutions and create an atmosphere of distrust. He said the BJP believed in the democratic mandate and would continue to work towards strengthening the country's electoral system. CM Sarma also criticised the Congress over its political performance in several states and questioned why the party continued to raise allegations of electoral manipulation despite losing elections. Referring to Himachal Pradesh, he said the BJP had secured victories in several recent local body elections and accused the Congress of ignoring the results while continuing to question the electoral process. He asserted that the BJP would continue to strengthen its organisation in Himachal Pradesh and expressed confidence that the party would return to power in the state. The rally was attended by BJP leaders, including former Union Minister Anurag Thakur, Shimla MP Suresh Kashyap, BJP state president Rajiv Bindal and former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur. (ANI)
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