India News | Ajay Rai Alleges Electoral Malpractice in PM Modi’s Varanasi Win, Questions Election Commission

Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 16 (ANI): Congress leader and former Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president Ajay Rai on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of winning the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat through alleged electoral malpractice and misuse of administrative machinery, while questioning the role of the Election Commission during the 2024 general elections.

Rai's remarks came in response to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's statement challenging Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to win an election without the support of the Samajwadi Party (SP).

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Responding to Singh's remarks, Rai said the Defence Minister should also address questions concerning the Varanasi constituency, from where PM Modi was elected to the Lok Sabha for a third consecutive term in 2024.

"Rajnath Singh challenged Rahul Gandhi to try winning an election without the Samajwadi Party; perhaps he is unaware of the facts. From the Raebareli constituency, our leader Sonia Gandhi served as the MP from 2019 to 2024, and subsequently, Rahul Gandhi has also served as the MP from that same seat," Rai said.

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Citing the Congress's representation in Rae Bareli, Rai questioned Singh's remarks about Rahul Gandhi's dependence on alliance partners and turned the focus to the Prime Minister's electoral victory in Varanasi.

"I would certainly like to ask Rajnath Singh about the Banaras seat—a seat that PM Modi won through theft and malpractice, relying on the crutches of his allied parties," Rai alleged.

The Congress leader further questioned the counting process during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, claiming that PM Modi had been trailing during the initial rounds and alleging that updates from the Election Commission stopped at around noon before the final result was declared in the evening.

"PM was trailing for seven rounds, yet the Election Commission stopped providing election updates after 12 PM, only to declare at 7 PM that he had won. The entire nation wants to know what kind of 'miracle' led to PM Modi's victory," Rai said.

He alleged that the Prime Minister's victory was facilitated by the support of alliance partners and the misuse of administrative machinery, while also questioning the Election Commission's handling of the process.

Rai also took to social media to target Rajnath Singh, asking him to explain the circumstances surrounding the Varanasi result before questioning Rahul Gandhi's political standing.

"Does the Prime Minister have the courage to contest an election alone, without the support of allied parties and without misusing the administrative machinery?" Rai wrote in his post.

He further alleged that the Prime Minister had trailed in the initial seven rounds of counting and claimed that the eventual result raised questions about the electoral process. Rai said the people of Varanasi would respond in future elections and asserted that the BJP was increasingly dependent on its alliance partners.

The Congress leader also alleged that the BJP relied on the support of its allies and accused the party of engaging in horse-trading politics.

The remarks came amid a political exchange between the BJP and the Congress over the role of alliance partners in electoral victories and the leadership of Rahul Gandhi. While Rajnath Singh challenged Rahul Gandhi to demonstrate the Congress's electoral strength without the SP's support, Rai countered by citing the Congress's record in Rae Bareli and raising allegations concerning the Varanasi election. (ANI) 

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