Ramdas Athawale Denounces Rahul Gandhi's Vote Theft Allegations

Union minister Ramdas Athawale called Rahul Gandhi's vote theft allegations 'baseless', stating voter list omissions occurred under Congress too. Criticizing Gandhi's claims of systemic voter deletions, Athawale asserted that issues existed during Congress rule and urged evidence provision to the Election Commission.

Union minister Ramdas Athawale sharply refuted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's assertions of vote theft, denouncing the allegations as unfounded. Athawale highlighted that voter omissions historically occurred during Congress regimes as well, challenging Gandhi's narrative.

Gandhi had earlier accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of safeguarding those undermining democracy and alleged systematic deletions of Congress supporters' votes, citing data from a Karnataka constituency. Athawale retorted, aligning with the Election Commission's stance that names cannot be deleted online.

In a broader political context, Athawale criticized Gandhi of using divisive tactics by alleging voter deletions from OBC, minority, and tribal communities. He pointed out that BJP-led governments have chiefs from diverse communities, suggesting Gandhi's strategy aims at creating societal rifts.

(With inputs from agencies.)