Bhubaneswar, July 11: Responding to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s allegation of “chunav chori” (election theft) in Bihar, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday dismissed the claims and took a jibe at Gandhi, saying his situation reflects the saying, "blaming the stage for not knowing how to dance."
In a post on X, Pradhan also criticised the Congress' "Sanvidhan Bachao" rally held in Bhubaneswar, calling it an act of “political tourism” and alleging that the event had little to do with protecting the Constitution and more with reviving Rahul Gandhi’s political relevance.
"This isn’t about saving the Constitution but about saving Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party," Pradhan said. He claimed that Congress has long lost its relevance in Odisha, where, according to him, the poor, Dalits, tribals, farmers, and labourers have consistently rejected the party.
Pradhan further accused Congress of historically neglecting marginalised communities, alleging that funds meant for the poor during its rule were siphoned off by middlemen or diverted for vote-bank politics. “The rights of the poor and tribals remain safe only when Congress is out of power,” he asserted.
Lashing out at Congress leaders for blaming democratic institutions, he said, “After defeats in Maharashtra and Haryana, Rahul Gandhi and Kharge have now turned on the Election Commission. It’s ironic, considering this is the same party that once imposed the Emergency and curtailed democracy.”
Referring to Gandhi’s repeated electoral setbacks, Pradhan said, this new narrative of 'vote theft' is just another excuse ahead of an anticipated defeat in Bihar.
Earlier in the day, addressing the Samvidhan Bachao Samavesh rally in Bhubaneswar, Rahul Gandhi accused the Election Commission of acting as a “BJP wing.” He claimed that similar “election theft” tactics used in Maharashtra are being deployed in Bihar. “The EC is not doing its job; it is conspiring with the BJP,” Gandhi alleged.
