Rahul Gandhi detonated 'high voltage hydrogen bomb on vote theft' in Haryana: Sharmila

Amaravati, Nov 6 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president Y S Sharmila on Thursday said party leader Rahul Gandhi has detonated a 'high voltage hydrogen bomb' on alleged vote theft during the 2024 Haryana Assembly polls, likening it to "hurling a bomb at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's deceit and Election Commission's deception." Out of the 90-member Assembly, the BJP swept 48 seats to form the government in Haryana, while the Congress settled for 37 seats.

On Wednesday, Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, addressed a press conference in New Delhi, claiming that 25 lakh fake voters were added in the run-up to the elections to influence its result in favour of the BJP.

"Rahul detonated a high voltage hydrogen bomb on fake votes in Haryana. This is a bomb which he detonated on Modi's deceit and EC's deception," Sharmila said while addressing a press conference at Andhra Ratna Bhavan in Vijayawada.

Stating that Gandhi is exposing alleged fake votes, she asserted that the truth is emanating on this issue, adding that he has already "revealed the truth on fake votes in Karnataka and Maharashtra".

The Congress leader alleged that the EC had included 25 lakh fake names in the voters list in favour of BJP in Haryana, claiming that Gandhi had dug them out, and one out of every eight votes was a fraudulent one.

"The Congress could have won in Haryana and the difference in vote share was not much. The BJP formed the government with the difference of just 1.18 lakh votes," Sharmila said.

According to Sharmila, "all the exit polls were in favour of Congress, which allegedly prompted the BJP to add fake votes in collusion with the poll body".

"There is equality in this country only in terms of votes. Whether rich or poor, there is equality when it comes to vote, but the EC has negated this opportunity," she said, adding that the saffron party has "polluted" the poll body.

Forgetting that it is an independent body, Sharmila alleged that the EC has become a "puppet" in the hands of the BJP.

Claiming that all the institutions in this country are under the BJP's diktat, she alleged that democracy has been compromised and that Gandhi is crusading to save it.

Further, Sharmila announced that under the 'Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod' (Vote Thieves, Quit Power) campaign, the Andhra Pradesh Congress had collected 17.65 lakh signatures from citizens across 175 Assembly constituencies. These signatures would be sent to New Delhi to express solidarity with Gandhi's campaign against alleged electoral fraud, she said.

She said the party would continue to fight for justice and stand firmly with the people.

"The Congress party has always been on the side of truth and will not rest until democracy is restored in its full spirit," Sharmila added. PTI STH KH