BJP to replicate Bihar-like roll revision elsewhere too, says Kharge; claims 'vote theft' in Gujarat

Junagadh, Sep 10 (PTI) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday claimed the BJP would replicate what happened in Bihar in terms of electoral roll revision in other parts of the country as well, and alleged that the saffron party came to power in Gujarat through "vote theft".

He also said that while the Congress gave the Constitution and the right to vote to the people of the country, the ruling BJP was weakening these institutions.

Addressing district president of Gujarat after inaugurating their 10-day training camp in Junagadh -- a second such camp after the one organised at Anand in the state which was inaugurated by Rahul Gandhi -- he said that for the party to become stronger, it needs to identify people dedicated to its ideology.

"You have seen a glimpse of what happened with the voter list in Bihar. BJP is going to do the same thing everywhere. The PCC president here has also revealed how the BJP has come to power in Gujarat on the basis of vote theft," he said.

"You all know what happened in the Surat Lok Sabha constituency. That is why we need people dedicated to the party's ideology. There is no dearth of such staunch Congressmen in Gujarat. But we have to identify them, so that the party becomes strong. All of you prepare to move forward with patience and hard work. We will support you at various levels," he said.

The Congress and other opposition parties have been opposing the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, saying that the exercise was aimed at disenfranchising the vast number of voters due to a "mischievous methodology".

"The Congress gave the Constitution and the right to vote to the country, but the BJP is weakening both today," Kharge alleged.

The Constitution should be protected, he said, adding that the Congress leaders were fighting in Parliament and on the streets for the rights of the poor, farmers, labourers, women, and against those who pose a threat to social harmony in the country or attack democratic institutions.

"This is the reason why the BJP is running the government at the Centre with the help of crutches," he said.

Referring to Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel, he said, "You gave us two Gujaratis who brought freedom to the country. They united the country. Now, you have given us two more Gujaratis who are working against freedom. They are dividing people." He was apparently criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

According to Kharge, every speech of PM Modi starts and ends with the mention of Congress.

"He finds the mistake of the Congress in every failure, because he knows that it is the Congress party that can end their politics," he added.

He also said that the Congress party will celebrate Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's 150 birth anniversary on October 31 across the country and asked the colleagues in Gujarat to celebrate it widely at the district level.

"We do not mind anyone giving him respect, but we will not let his ideas be tampered with," he said.

The Congress chief said his party can win upcoming elections in Gujarat because after 2014, the governments in the state were being run on remote control and all decisions were being made from Delhi.

"For the last 25 years, the BJP has occupied power in Gujarat. People here have understood the ground reality and want to support the Congress, the indication of which they gave in 2017 (assembly elections)," he said.

Kharge said he is confident that the training will give a new impetus to the Congress in Gujarat, with strong district units ensuring that no one is able to stop the storm of change in Gujarat.

He said 2025 marks the centenary year of Mahatma Gandhi becoming the Congress president, and party has declared it as the year of organisation building in his memory.

"Congress chose Gujarat for the creation of the organisation because it is the virtuous land of Gandhiji, Sardar Patel, and Dadabhai Naoroji...Promotion of Congress ideology, connecting people, this is the job of the people of our organisation," he said.

A 10-day training camp under the party's 'Sangathan Srujan Abhiyan' (campaign to strengthen the party organisation) has been organised in Junagadh from September 10 to 19, in which party leader Rahul Gandhi is set to take part.

This is the second such training camp being organised in Gujarat this year, the first being the inaugural session organised in Anand, where experts from various fields addressed the participants.

At the inaugural camp in July this year, Gandhi had addressed newly-appointed presidents of the party's district units and interacted with members of the cooperative dairy unions.

The training camps are being organised in view of the 2027 Gujarat assembly elections with the aim of preparing a road map for the party's 'Mission 2027'.

In a bid to strengthen the party's organisation at district levels ahead of the assembly elections, the Congress had recently appointed new presidents of all the District Congress Committees. PTI KA PD NP