New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and spokesperson Pawan Khera on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the BJP, alleging that the party has “brazenly subverted” the electoral mandate in West Bengal and Assam through large-scale manipulation of voter rolls and institutional capture. He described the process as “institutionalised electoral predation” and declared, “Abki Baar Loktantra Ka Antim Sanskar” (This time, the final rites of democracy).
Addressing the media, Khera claimed that in West Bengal, the BJP orchestrated the theft of the mandate across more than 100 seats by manipulating electoral rolls. He pointed to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, under which 91 lakh voters were allegedly deleted, while 27 lakh citizens were denied a hearing before tribunals. In at least 50 constituencies, the number of deleted voters exceeded the winning margin, making the results “structurally pre-decided,” he said.
The Congress leader extended unequivocal support to Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has refused to resign, stating that the INDIA Alliance stands with her in this “decisive moment of democratic crisis.” Khera argued that what happened in West Bengal was not a legitimate election outcome but a “manufactured verdict.”
He described the BJP’s actions as part of a repeatable “playbook” witnessed in states like Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Bihar, and during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Citing specific examples, Khera said in Karnataka’s Aland constituency, 5,994 out of 6,018 voter deletion applications were fraudulent. In Haryana, he alleged widespread use of fake and duplicated photographs, including one Brazilian model’s image used 22 times. In Maharashtra, 40 lakh new voters were added in five months, with mysterious changes in turnout figures after polling, he claimed.
Khera further alleged that across 12 states, 7.2 crore voters — 10.2% of India’s voter base — were deleted through SIR, weaponised as a tool to suppress opposition votes. “The Election Commission has been reduced to a mechanism executing this design,” he said, accusing the BJP of using central agencies, fabricated cases, and institutional pressure to cripple opposition parties.
On post-poll violence in West Bengal, Khera alleged BJP elements were burning opposition offices, assaulting workers, and resorting to intimidation, including threats of sexual violence.
Responding to questions, Khera defended the INDIA Alliance’s unity and dismissed accusations of backstabbing against DMK in Tamil Nadu by citing DMK’s 2013 decision to contest alone. He said Congress had consistently raised the SIR issue, including through Rahul Gandhi’s press conferences and yatras. On demands for CCTV footage from 12:00 to 6:00 during counting in West Bengal, he called it a “just demand” and urged the Election Commission to make it public.
Khera said the party expects the Supreme Court to take cognisance of the matter. On Mamata Banerjee’s refusal to resign, he noted these are “unprecedented times” requiring unprecedented responses. He also highlighted delimitation exercises as another tool allegedly used to disadvantage opposition-leaning areas, particularly in Assam.
The Congress leader emphasised that Rahul Gandhi was among the first to strongly condemn the developments. He asserted that in a truly free and fair election without manipulation, the BJP would struggle to cross 140 seats in Lok Sabha.
Khera concluded by drawing on Congress’s historical resilience, stating the party would continue fighting to protect democratic processes through protests on the streets and legal avenues.
