FairPoint: Rahul Gandhi's atom bomb or damp squib? Bihar will decide

New Delhi, Aug 17 (IANS) When Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi decided to skip the early morning Independence Day celebrations at the iconic Red Fort, he knew he would face criticism. Yet, he chose to stay away -- perhaps to make a statement.

This decision seems part of his newfound 'weapon' of 'vote chori (vote theft)' to target the democratically elected NDA government at the Centre. He and his supporters have been indirectly suggesting that it was due to vote chori that the NDA secured a third term; otherwise, he would have been in the top seat.

Wishful thinking knows no bounds, but the Congress-led Opposition has now adopted this 'idea' to shape its campaign in Bihar, before rolling it out nationally. Rahul Gandhi, along with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, has unveiled a plan to bring down the Nitish-led NDA government in the state using this narrative.

Gandhi -- who served as Congress president from December 2017 to July 2019, a period when the party recorded its worst-ever performance -- now sees an opportunity in the vote chori allegations.

At his August 7 press conference in Delhi, Gandhi targeted only PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, while also attacking the Election Commission of India (ECI).

He claimed: "...And let's not forget that the Prime Minister is the Prime Minister of India with a very slender majority -- 25 seats. 33,000 votes were the winning margin…"

His sole purpose appeared to be discrediting the Modi government's election win. He accused the ECI of colluding with the BJP and "helping the BJP destroy the election system in India."

But if elections can indeed be manipulated, as Gandhi suggests, why could the BJP not secure an absolute majority on its own, rather than depending on Nitish Kumar's JD(U) and Chandrababu Naidu's TDP?

There is no denying that anomalies exist in voter rolls, which must be cleaned up and corrected. The ECI must strengthen its systems quickly and effectively. On August 14, a group of seven people from Bihar met Gandhi at his Delhi residence, claiming they had been declared "dead" by the Election Commission. Their names, they said, had been removed from the draft electoral rolls published on August 1, as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Whether true or not, the ECI will have to investigate.

The SIR case is already in the Supreme Court, where the ECI has agreed to share the names of voters deleted in Bihar. Such an exercise could help settle many allegations.

Rahul Gandhi is not entirely wrong in pointing out problems with voter lists. Errors do exist. However, suggesting that the ECI manipulates election outcomes is an accusation that stretches credibility.

Nevertheless, Gandhi insists that wins and losses are manipulated, claiming to have an "atom bomb" of proof that will dislodge the government and give him the "rightful" mandate to be Prime Minister. Bihar will be the testing ground for his vote chori narrative.

His Vote Adhikar Yatra aims to highlight alleged assaults on people's voting rights through the SIR process. The yatra will cover 20 districts, concluding with a rally in Patna on September 1, with breaks on August 20, 25, and 31.

Rahul Gandhi appears determined to make this a prestige issue. If he manages to generate enough momentum in Bihar, the campaign could be replicated in other states to build a larger movement against the Centre and discredit the NDA's win. His decision to skip the Red Fort event may well be seen as the first step in that direction.

Unsurprisingly, the BJP pounced on the issue. Party leader Amit Malviya remarked that at the Congress HQ event, Gandhi appeared "visibly disoriented", adding, "The nation deserves to know -- is he well?"

His absence from the Independence Day event has also drawn criticism, especially after the Supreme Court reprimanded him earlier, stating, "If you are a true Indian, you wouldn't say such a thing," in response to his comments about Chinese encroachment during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Now, Gandhi's vote chori allegations face their litmus test in Bihar. The people will decide the truth. But the bigger question remains: what if he loses again -- or what if he wins? Either way, the Bihar elections will be decisive.

(Deepika Bhan can be contacted at deepika.b@ians.in)

--IANS

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