‘Five short of a century’: BJP on Rahul Gandhi’s string of 95 poll losses

New Delhi, Nov 16 (IANS) The BJP on Sunday hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for leading his party to 95 losses in elections, taking a jibe at him by recalling that he is ‘five short of a century’ of crushing defeats over two decades. 

The party also highlighted the serious differences between Bihar Congress leaders with the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha over his decision to allege lapses in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.

Amit Malviya, in charge of the BJP’s National Information and Technology Department, referred to media reports about Rahul Gandhi indicating that he was “not worried” despite the party’s poor show in the Bihar Assembly poll, questioning his inability to lead the Congress to victory in elections.

In a message on X, Malviya said, “95 Defeats For Rahul Gandhi. While many will call him a 9-to-5 blame-game politician, Rahul Gandhi has now accumulated 95 electoral defeats in two decades, five short of a century. Is the attack on India's institutions a diversionary tactic by the silver-spoon scion?”

Pointing to the growing differences within the Bihar Congress of the SIR poll plank, the BJP leader said, “Senior Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad has completely rubbished Rahul Gandhi’s opposition to Special Intensive Revision (SIR). He has rightly questioned: If names of 65 lakh voters were allegedly struck off, why did even 65 people not protest?”

“He further asked why not a single worker from Congress, RJD or the Communist parties filed even one objection. It is now obvious that Rahul Gandhi was running a campaign to protect illegal infiltrators — most of them Rohingyas and Bangladeshi Muslims,” said Malviya.

Turning his attention towards West Bengal, Malviya said, “Mamata Banerjee must take a cue from what Shakeel Ahmad has said and stop opposing SIR, which is meant to remove absent/permanently shifted, dead, non-Indian citizens, underage, and already enrolled voters.”

“Mamata Banerjee’s resistance only proves one thing: she wants fake voters and illegal Bangladeshi Muslims and Rohingyas to stay on the rolls because she knows she cannot win without them. In West Bengal, enumeration forms are now being distributed, and it is widely known that the TMC is pressuring BLOs to hand over forms to dead, fake, and illegal voters,” said Malviya, who is also the BJP’s co-incharge for West Bengal.

Cautioning people against subverting the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal, the BJP leader said, “Here is a firm reminder: Those who fill illegal forms or submit fake documents can be jailed for one year. BLOs who distribute forms to ineligible voters or accept false forms are also liable for investigation. Don’t ruin your life and career for the TMC. Illegal voters should simply leave. Learn from the Mahagathbandhan’s debacle in Bihar. Mamata Banerjee won’t be able to save you.”

--IANS

rch/uk