Accusing the Congress of growing increasingly frustrated over the BJP’s expanding political influence across the country, Tripura BJP president Abhishek Debroy on Monday launched a scathing attack on the opposition party, alleging that its shrinking electoral prospects had driven it towards creating political controversies and spreading confusion among the people.
Reacting to the controversy surrounding Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s alleged objectionable remarks, Debroy said that statements targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his family reflected the opposition’s political desperation. He alleged that, unable to challenge the BJP effectively through the electoral process, Congress and other opposition parties were attempting to undermine public confidence by repeatedly raising allegations of vote theft.
Questioning the opposition’s claims of electoral irregularities, the Tripura BJP president referred to the disqualification of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from Parliament. He also cited an incident involving the Rampur constituency during the 1951–52 general elections, alleging that former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had interfered in the electoral process.
Debroy also expressed concern over what he described as the opposition’s attempts to mobilise young people through street protests. Referring to the recent movement in Bangladesh, he alleged that opposition leaders were encouraging the youth to take to the streets. Invoking the names of Nehru and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, he claimed that certain opposition forces were seeking alternative means of attaining power when unable to secure a mandate through parliamentary democracy.
On the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Debroy asserted that the exercise was a regular administrative process and had been undertaken on several occasions in the past. He maintained that people in Tripura and across the country were aware of the facts surrounding the revision exercise and the allegations being raised by the opposition.
The BJP leader further accused opposition parties of adopting a selective approach towards electoral procedures, citing the political situations in Kerala and West Bengal. He alleged that the opposition generally refrained from questioning Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) when election results were favourable to them but raised doubts about EVMs and voter-list revisions when the results went against their expectations.
Debroy maintained that the opposition’s repeated allegations against the electoral process reflected its inability to counter the BJP politically, asserting that the ruling party’s growing strength had left its rivals increasingly unsettled.
