NEW DELHI — Hours after the National Democratic Alliance romped home with over 200 seats in Bihar, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh launched a blistering attack on the Election Commission, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing them of conspiring “vote chori (stealing votes) on a gigantic scale”.
In a post on X, Ramesh wrote: “Without doubt, the election results in Bihar reflect vote chori on a gigantic scale – masterminded by the PM, the HM, and the Election Commission. The Indian National Congress renews its resolve to continue with even greater strength its campaign to protect the Constitution and save our democracy.”
The statement marks the sharpest reaction yet from the Congress high command to the party’s near-annihilation in Bihar, where it was reduced to just 5-6 seats from the 19 it won in 2020, despite contesting 61 constituencies as part of the Mahagathbandhan.
The alliance itself collapsed from 110 seats in 2020 to under 40, while the NDA surged past the 200-seat mark on the back of record women turnout and consolidation across caste lines.
Congress sources said the party had flagged “systematic deletions” of voters – particularly from Muslim, Dalit and EBC – dominated booths – during the run-up to polling, and claimed that special summary revisions ordered by the Election Commission disproportionately targeted opposition strongholds.
Party workers in at least 47 constituencies had submitted written complaints about names missing from electoral rolls, a charge the EC dismissed as routine cleaning of duplicates and deceased voters. Senior leaders within the INDIA Bloc appeared divided on the “vote chori” narrative.
While Left partners echoed concerns over EVM reliability and voter list discrepancies, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav stopped short of endorsing the Congress formulation, instead attributing the defeat to “consolidation of women and EBC votes” and internal shortcomings.
The BJP hit back swiftly. Union Minister Giriraj Singh called Ramesh’s statement “the sour grapes of a party staring at extinction in Bihar”, while Amit Shah posted: “People have rejected dynasty and appeasement. Instead of introspection, Congress is insulting the mandate of Bihar’s daughters and sisters.”
As the Congress doubles down on its “Save Constitution” campaign ahead of crucial civic polls and the 2026 battles in West Bengal and Assam, Jairam Ramesh’s outburst signals that the opposition’s post-defeat script will centre on institutional capture rather than organisational failures. –IANS
