Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has publicly supported Rahul Gandhi's allegations of significant electoral fraud in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, calling for immediate action to safeguard the integrity of Indian democracy. This marks a notable alignment between Tharoor and the party leadership, particularly after recent instances where Tharoor's views have diverged from the Congress's official stance.
Gandhi has alleged a "huge criminal fraud" in the 2024 polls, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of India (ECI) of colluding to manipulate the results. He claims to possess "concrete evidence" indicating widespread electoral rigging.
Tharoor voiced his support for Gandhi's claims on social media, stating, "Our democracy is too precious to allow its credibility to be destroyed by incompetence, carelessness or worse, deliberate tampering". He urged the ECI to address these serious questions transparently to maintain the credibility of the democratic process.
Tharoor's support is particularly noteworthy given his recent independent streak, which has sometimes put him at odds with the Congress leadership. His past praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and critical comments about the Emergency era had drawn criticism from within the party and fueled attacks from the BJP.
The BJP has dismissed Gandhi's allegations as baseless, accusing him of "insulting voters" and attributing his claims to frustration over repeated electoral defeats. The ruling party maintains that voters will continue to reject such "irresponsible and shameless conduct".
Gandhi presented what he described as "evidence" of "vote theft" in an Assembly constituency in Karnataka. While the ECI has rebutted his specific claims, it inadvertently highlighted the significance of the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, which aims to rectify inaccuracies in electoral rolls.
The allegations and counter-allegations have ignited a debate about the fairness and transparency of the electoral process. Tharoor's call for the ECI to act and clear the air underscores the importance of addressing these concerns to ensure public trust in the democratic system.
