'Seen This Playbook Before': Rahul Gandhi Accuses BJP Of 'Stealing' Elections In Assam, West Bengal

New Delhi: Launching a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi alleged that assembly elections in Assam and West Bengal were "stolen" with the support of the Election Commission.

After his party suffered crushing defeat in both the states, Rahul Gandhi took to social media and claimed that more than 100 seats were stolen in Bengal, echoing the concerns raised by Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee, who lost to BJP's Suvendu Adhikari in Bhabanipur constituency.

Gandhi said that Assam and Bengal are clear cases of elections being manipulated, adding that the Congress agrees with Mamata Banerjee's assertion.

"Assam and Bengal are clear cases of the election being stolen by the BJP with the support of the EC. We agree with Mamata ji. More than 100 seats were stolen in Bengal," he stated.

He further alleged that the BJP had deployed a similar strategy, citing polls in Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. "This is a playbook we have seen before," LoP Gandhi remarked, pointing to what he described as a systematic effort to undermine democratic institutions.

The Congress leader also accused the BJP of not only stealing elections but also eroding the credibility of institutions that safeguard democracy. "Stealing elections, stealing institutions -- what other option is left now!" LoP Gandhi stated.

His statement came at a time when opposition parties have intensified their criticism against the BJP, alleging misuse of state machinery and unfair practices during polls. Raising serious concerns over election process, Mamata Banerjee alleged that the saffron party manipulated results in West Bengal and claimed that her party's representatives were denied access to the counting centres. "None of our agents was allowed inside (the counting centre). The DO assured me our agents would be allowed, but after that, he was not available anywhere. I complained everywhere," she said.

Speaking to media, Banerjee alleged that over 100 seats were "looted" by the BJP, calling the party's victory "immoral". She said, "The Election Commission is the BJP's commission. I complained to the CO and also Manoj Agrawal, but they are not doing anything. Do you think this is a victory?," she questioned. She further added, "It is not a moral victory. Whatever the Election Commission has done, along with the Central Forces and the PM & Home Minister, is totally illegal. It is loot, loot, loot. We will bounce back."

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