Congress Rallies Cadre to Thwart Alleged Election Rigging

Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi urged party members to remain vigilant on vote counting day to prevent rigging. They emphasized that exit polls predicting BJP's victory were psychological tactics. The party shared a standard operating procedure with its candidates to ensure transparency and morale during the count.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi have called on the party's Lok Sabha poll candidates to stay alert and enforce measures against potential rigging on vote counting day, sources reveal. During a virtual meeting attended by key party figures including Jairam Ramesh and K C Venugopal, Kharge and Gandhi reviewed preparations for June 4, the scheduled date for counting votes from the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls.

A standard operating procedure has reportedly been shared with the candidates to ensure a smooth and transparent counting process. Gandhi and Kharge urged Congress workers not to leave counting centres until all formalities are completed, highlighting the demoralizing aim of exit polls favoring Prime Minister Modi's BJP-led NDA.

Congress leaders denounced the exit polls as 'bogus' and part of a strategy to justify rigging, accusing Prime Minister Modi of psychological manipulation. Former Congress president Gandhi even referred to the exit polls as 'Modi media poll'. Ramesh added that these polls were orchestrated by Modi, predicting his imminent exit. Leaders from the INDIA bloc, a coalition of opposition parties, also gathered on Saturday to discuss precautions and expressed confidence in securing over 295 seats, enough to form the next government.

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