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New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday mounted a fierce counterattack on the Congress during the Lok Sabha debate on electoral reforms, asserting that the Opposition party was blaming institutions to cover up its own leadership failures. Shah’s remarks came in the presence of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who had earlier challenged him to debate allegations of “vote chori”.

Shah dismissed the Congress’s charge that electoral manipulation or voter-roll revisions were causing its defeats.
“Congress is losing elections not because of vote chori, but because of its leadership issues,” he declared.

‘Congress Mastered Vote Chori Long Ago’

Turning the charge of voter theft back on the Congress, Shah cited historical examples:

• 1946 Congress presidential election: “Twenty-eight provincial committees voted for Sardar Patel, Nehru got only two. Yet Nehru became Prime Minister. If anything is vote chori, this is vote chori,” he said.

• Indira Gandhi’s 1975 election case: He recalled how the Allahabad High Court annulled Indira Gandhi’s election, after which she amended the Constitution to protect her position. “This is what theft on a mass scale looks like,” Shah said.

He further referred to a pending dispute in a Delhi court over allegations regarding Sonia Gandhi’s voter registration before citizenship, adding that he would comment fully once the court proceedings progress. Congress MP KC Venugopal objected, accusing Shah of misleading Parliament.

‘Congress Blames Institutions, BJP Self-Introspects’

Shah accused the Congress of habitually attacking democratic institutions whenever it loses.
“When Congress loses, it blames the EC, blames EVMs, blames everyone except itself. One day its own workers will ask why it keeps losing,” he said.

He contrasted this with the BJP’s approach:
“We spent years in Opposition but never blamed the Election Commission or EVMs. We introspect when we lose.”

He also criticised Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, MK Stalin, and Bhagwant Mann, saying each had at some point accused the Election Commission of bias.

Impeachment Notice Against Judge ‘Vote Bank Appeasement’

Shah also slammed the Opposition for moving an impeachment notice against a Madras High Court judge over a ruling to preserve a traditional lamp-lighting practice at a hilltop shrine.
“They are now targeting judges to appease their vote banks. Even Uddhav Thackeray signed that notice,” Shah remarked.

The heated exchanges underscored the sharply polarised atmosphere in the House, with Shah and Gandhi repeatedly clashing over allegations of electoral manipulation and institutional integrity.