Senior BJP leader Sanjay Tandon criticised Rahul Gandhi over questions raised about electoral institutions. He urged Congress to focus on organisational revival and reconnecting with voters.
Chandigarh: Senior BJP leader Sanjay Tandon on Monday criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his questions about electoral institutions. Tandon urged the Congress to examine its repeated electoral setbacks instead of blaming the Election Commission and the electoral process.
Tandon made the remarks while addressing the media in Chandigarh alongside Mayor Saurabh Joshi. BJP State Media In-charge Ravi Rawat, spokesperson Gurpreet Dhillon and councillors Rajinder Sharma and Kanwar Rana also attended the press meet.
Tandon said the Hindi saying, “Naach na jaane, aangan teda,” aptly described what he called Rahul Gandhi’s approach. He alleged that Congress raises questions about the electoral system when election results do not favour the party.
“The Congress should ask itself why it is repeatedly losing the confidence of voters,” Tandon said.
He pointed to election victories by different opposition parties as evidence for his argument. Tandon noted that Congress has won elections in Karnataka, Kerala and Himachal Pradesh. He also cited Aam Aadmi Party victories in Punjab and Delhi and TMC victories in West Bengal.
Meanwhile, Tandon defended the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He described electoral-roll revision as a regular democratic exercise intended to maintain accurate voter lists. He urged Congress to participate constructively rather than oppose the process.
Tandon also alleged that Rahul Gandhi has questioned democratic and parliamentary institutions on domestic and international platforms. He said political parties have the right to question governments, but allegations against constitutional institutions should rely on evidence.
Referring to Gandhi’s 2019 “Chowkidar chor hai” remark, Tandon said Gandhi later expressed regret over attributing the statement to the Supreme Court. Tandon argued that political leaders should exercise responsibility while making serious allegations.
Tandon further urged Congress to strengthen its organisation and reconnect with voters. He said Parliament should focus on reasoned debate, evidence and policy alternatives.
Mayor Saurabh Joshi also addressed the issue of SIR in Chandigarh. He said the draft electoral roll contained 4,50,282 voters, while the final roll had 4,60,209 voters.
Joshi said the figures showed that the voter count increased after the revision. He also asked Congress to explain the promises made through its 2024 Lok Sabha election guarantee card.
He said repeated allegations do not establish facts and added that voters ultimately hold political parties accountable for their promises and performance.
