Kharge’s Explosive Charge! Maharashtra Polls Rigged, Democracy Dying Under BJP’s EVM Fraud

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge unleashed a scathing attack on the BJP Wednesday, alleging the Maharashtra assembly elections were “stolen through fraud” via Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), and called for a return to ballot papers to save democracy.

Speaking at the AICC session on the Sabarmati riverbanks, Kharge accused the Modi government of eroding constitutional values, selling national assets to crony capitalists, and stifling dissent in a slow strangulation of democratic norms.

“The Maharashtra election was a fraud like never before,” Kharge thundered, claiming the BJP’s 90% seat sweep defied historical precedent and relied on manipulated voter lists and EVMs. “The whole world is shifting to ballot paper, but we stick to this fraud. They’ve rigged it to favor the ruling party and cripple the opposition.” He vowed that Congress lawyers and leaders are probing the issue, asserting, “The thief always gets caught.”

Kharge didn’t stop there. He accused the Modi regime of running Parliament like a personal fiefdom—silencing the Leader of Opposition, debating divisive issues like the Waqf Bill late into the night, and dodging scrutiny on crises like Manipur. “Democracy is being finished slowly, slowly, slowly,” he warned, pointing to the government’s refusal to discuss U.S. tariffs or fuel price hikes.

The Congress chief also slammed the privatization push, alleging it guts SC, ST, and OBC reservations while handing resources to Modi’s “crony capitalist friends.” “If this continues, Modi will sell the whole country and go,” he charged, citing the BJP-RSS’s communal tactics—like digging up 500-year-old disputes—as a deliberate ploy to divide. “Modi lights the fire, and RSS pours the fuel,” he said, referencing a BJP leader’s “purification” of a Rajasthan temple after a Dalit Congress MLA’s visit.

Kharge pitched for a nationwide caste census, accusing Modi of exploiting his OBC identity for votes while neglecting the community’s welfare. As the AICC session—“Nyaypath: Sankalp, Samarpan aur Sangharsh”—unfolded with over 1,700 delegates, Congress staked its claim on Sardar Patel’s legacy, countering BJP’s nationalist narrative. Resolutions honoring late leaders like Manmohan Singh and outlining the party’s socio-economic vision capped a day of fiery rhetoric and strategic defiance.