‘Govt Of Stolen Mandate Has No Legitimacy’

Setting the stage for the Bihar Assembly elections, the Congress party has unleashed a fierce multi-pronged assault on the BJP during an extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Patna. The party accused the ruling dispensation of “vote chori (theft)”, manipulating electoral rolls through Special Intensive Revision (SIR), and fueling “economic distress”. Congress leaders declared that the polls in Bihar would signal the “beginning of the end” of the Modi government’s “corrupt rule”.

The over four-hour session at Sadaqat Ashram marked the first CWC meeting in Bihar since independence. Chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, it was attended by key figures including former chief Rahul Gandhi and others. Sonia Gandhi skipped the event due to ill health, with daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra staying back to care for her. Senior leader Shashi Tharoor was also absent.

In his opening address, Kharge lambasted the BJP, claiming they had “mentally retired” Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, viewing him as a “liability”. He asserted, “The 2025 Assembly elections will prove to be a milestone not only for Bihar but for the entire country. This will mark the beginning of the countdown and the end of the corrupt rule of the Modi government.” Kharge highlighted internal NDA rifts, stating, “Internal strife within the NDA alliance is now openly visible. Nitish Kumar has been mentally retired by the BJP.”

The Congress zeroed in on “vote chori” and SIR, portraying them as assaults on democracy. Kharge warned, “Vote theft means theft of rations, pensions, medicine, children’s scholarships, and exam fees belonging to Dalits, tribals, backward classes, extremely backward classes, minorities, the weak, and the poor.” He alleged a nationwide conspiracy, saying, “Following the example of Bihar, a conspiracy is now being hatched across the country to remove the votes of millions of people.” On the Election Commission (EC), he said, “Instead of answering questions on the revelations from various states, the EC is demanding affidavits from us.”

The meeting passed two resolutions: a political one condemning electoral manipulations and an appeal to Bihar voters. The political resolution declared, “A government built on ‘stolen mandates’ and ‘rigged voter lists’ has no moral or political legitimacy.” It accused the BJP of using SIR as a “dirty trick” from its “toolkit to manipulate electoral rolls to cling on to power.” The resolution further slammed the EC, noting, “The Election Commission of India, long the cornerstone of our vibrant democracy, has been turned into a ‘servile mouthpiece for the government’.” It praised Rahul Gandhi, resolving to “salute Rahul Gandhi for boldly exposing the shameless ‘vote chori’ and bravely fighting these brazen attempts to subvert democracy.”

The voter appeal urged Biharis to wield their vote wisely, warning, “The conspiracy of the special intensive revision of voter rolls is the ‘greatest threat to our democracy today’.” It highlighted disenfranchisement risks, stating, “As evident in Bihar, this process has been designed to systematically rob citizens from marginalized communities like Dalits, OBCs, Adivasis, and Minorities of their Right to Vote.” The resolution added, “This disenfranchisement through the attack on the Right to Vote will culminate in snatching away their rights in government welfare schemes as well as their constitutionally guaranteed reservations. When the vote of the people is stolen, their future, their dignity, and their constitutional entitlements are stolen along with it.”

Post-meeting, Jairam Ramesh addressed a press conference, promising explosive revelations. He said, “In the next one month, Gandhi will come out with more revelations on ‘vote chori’ which would be akin to ‘hydrogen bomb’, ‘mini hydrogen bomb’, ‘uranium bomb’ and ‘plutonium bomb’.” Ramesh said, “This is just the beginning. The revelations related to Mahadevapura and Aland in Karnataka are just the beginning, and there is a long story in this motion about the vote-stealing campaign.” He announced a signature campaign, stating, “A campaign to collect 5 crore signatures against ‘vote chori’ was launched from September 15 and will continue till October 15th, and these 5 crore signatures will be submitted to the Election Commission.”

The political resolution also decried foreign policy failures, stating, “Prime Minister Modi’s ‘huglomacy’ has backfired: far from boosting India’s standing, it has left India diplomatically isolated and unable to secure its national interests.” Sources quoted Rahul Gandhi slamming Modi: “Foreign policy is not conducted on the basis of personal friendships.” Gandhi alleged a “collapse” of Indian foreign policy and urged, “The prime minister should stand up to Trump and keep India’s national interest at the forefront.” Kharge took a dig, saying, “The very friends whom he boasts about as ‘my friends’ are today putting India in numerous troubles.”