Chandigarh, November 3, 2026:Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Anurag Thakur strongly challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other opposition parties over allegations of “vote chori” during a press conference at BJP Chandigarh Pradesh headquarters, Kamalam, Sector 33. The discussions centred on Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, voter eligibility, the independence of the Election Commission and what BJP leaders described as contradictions in the Congress position.

Present on the dais were BJP Chandigarh Pradesh President Jatinder Pal Malhotra; Anurag Thakur; SIR In-charge and State General Secretary Shri Rambir Bhatti; State Media Prabhari Kailash Chand Jain; Media Convener Ravi Rawat; and Chief Spokesperson Dharinder Tayal.

Opening the conference, Jatinder Pal Malhotra declared, “Vote chori nahi, choron ko vote milna band ho gaya hai.” He argued that Congress was blaming electoral institutions rather than examining why voters had lost confidence in its leadership. Electoral defeat, he maintained, should prompt introspection, organisational reform and renewed public engagement, not automatic allegations of manipulation. He questioned whether the opposition was presenting political disappointment as evidence of electoral wrongdoing while failing to address the everyday concerns of voters.

CONFUCIUS, “CONFUSE-US” AND THE YOUTH

Taking a sharp swipe at Rahul Gandhi, Anurag Thakur contrasted the wisdom associated with the Chinese philosopher Confucius with what he called Rahul Gandhi’s politics of “Confuse-Us.” He alleged that Congress lacked a coherent vision and was spreading confusion beyond its party ranks, including among India’s youth.

Young citizens, he said, deserved reliable information, constitutional literacy and serious policy debate rather than politically charged narratives that could damage trust in democratic processes. India’s younger generation should be equipped to distinguish documented irregularities from political assertions, he said, rather than be drawn into an atmosphere of perpetual suspicion.

SIR’S HISTORY AND CONGRESS’S CHANGING POSITION

Thakur recalled that intensive electoral-roll revisions were undertaken during 1952–1956, when Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was Prime Minister, and pointed to repeated revision exercises since then.

Referring to what he described as 12 previous SIR exercises, he questioned why Rahul Gandhi now opposed a mechanism with roots in his great-grandfather’s era.

He stressed that revisions are administered by the independent Election Commission, not instituted by any political party, and aim to update records while protecting every eligible citizen’s voting rights. The distinction, he said, is important: criticising errors in implementation is legitimate, but dismissing the entire exercise as a conspiracy requires evidence.

“13.39 CRORE” DOES NOT MEAN 13.39 CRORE FINAL DELETIONS

Rejecting the opposition’s interpretation of revision figures, Thakur cited approximately 95.40 crore elector records reviewed across three phases and 13.39 crore entries classified for verification under absent, shifted, deceased, duplicate and other categories.

The breakdown presented included 6.30 crore shifted entries, 3.01 crore absent or untraceable, 2.80 crore deceased, 1.02 crore duplicate and 26 lakh in other categories.

He argued that entries flagged during preliminary verification must not be equated with names finally removed. Draft rolls, verification, claims and objections are distinct stages.

Deceased persons and genuine duplicates should not remain incorrectly registered, he said, while eligible citizens mistakenly omitted must be able to seek inclusion through prescribed procedures.

BLA-2 REPRESENTATIVES AND THE RIGHT TO REGISTER

Thakur questioned why opposition parties with Booth Level Agents (BLA-2) had not used available mechanisms more effectively to flag individual discrepancies and submit evidence.

Political parties, he argued, should assist voters at booth level instead of relying solely on sweeping accusations.

SIR also offers an opportunity to enrol eligible new voters, including citizens turning 18, and to correct errors concerning existing electors. Political workers and booth-level representatives should therefore focus on genuine exclusions, documentation and timely applications so that legitimate voters are not left behind.

PUNJAB FIGURES: DRAFT AND FINAL ROLLS

Citing Punjab’s revision figures, Thakur said the electorate stood at approximately 2.15 crore before SIR.

The draft roll of August 13, 2026, recorded 1,93,94,435 names, while the final roll published October 12 recorded 2,01,00,727—a net rise of 7,06,292 from the draft, although below the pre-revision total.

The final roll comprised 1,03,76,026 male, 97,24,195 female and 506 third-gender electors.

He maintained that the increase between draft and final rolls demonstrated why claims, objections and scrutiny matter, and why figures should be discussed in their proper procedural context.

CHANDIGARH: NO ELIGIBLE VOTER SHOULD BE LEFT OUT

Speaking about Chandigarh, Malhotra urged residents to verify their electoral details, report duplicates or errors, and apply for inclusion or correction wherever necessary.

The exercise, he said, must achieve both accuracy and inclusion. Every eligible resident should have a fair opportunity to register, and all parties should help citizens use Election Commission procedures instead of creating unnecessary anxiety.

EVMS AND THE 1975 ELECTION CASE

Thakur also challenged Congress’s criticism of Electronic Voting Machines.

EVMs were first used in an Indian election in 1982 and received statutory recognition through legislation enacted in 1988 under Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Thakur asked why a system given legislative support during Congress rule was now repeatedly questioned when outcomes were unfavourable.

He also cited the June 12, 1975 Allahabad High Court judgment setting aside Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s 1971 Rae Bareli election on findings of electoral malpractice.

The legal position subsequently changed through legislation and Supreme Court proceedings.

Thakur invoked the episode to question what he called Congress’s selective approach to electoral accountability and institutional integrity.

RAHUL GANDHI, POLITICAL CREDIBILITY AND EXTERNAL INFLUENCE

Taking another swipe, Thakur claimed Congress’s crowd projections at rallies often exceeded actual attendance, contrasting assertions of gatherings reaching ten lakh with what he described as crowds sometimes failing to reach even 50,000.

He joked that wherever Rahul Gandhi campaigned, Congress suffered setbacks and urged the party to examine its declining support rather than blame institutions.

He also alleged attempts to influence domestic political narratives through foreign funding, contacts or interests.

He said allegations against electoral institutions should likewise be supported by verifiable evidence.

PUNJAB GOVERNMENT AND FARMERS’ CONCERNS

Responding to a question about Punjab, Thakur accused the Aam Aadmi Party government of failing to protect farmers’ interests and meet its commitments.

He also criticised its record on law and order, drug-related problems and public accountability, calling for answers on governance rather than political rhetoric.

In his view, Punjab’s farmers needed practical support and fulfilment of promises, not another cycle of public accusations.

DEMOCRACY REQUIRES ACCURATE ROLLS AND PROCEDURAL FAIRNESS

Concluding, Thakur maintained that the Election Commission has a constitutional responsibility to maintain credible electoral rolls and conduct fair elections.

He urged opposition parties to pursue documented objections through lawful channels and insisted that errors must be corrected without disenfranchising eligible voters.

BJP Chandigarh Pradesh reiterated that transparent revision, voter inclusion, responsible political scrutiny and respect for the public mandate are inseparable from democratic credibility.

Political defeat, its leaders argued, cannot on its own substantiate a charge of “vote chori.” They called for vigilance against genuine errors, equal treatment of eligible voters and continued confidence in constitutional processes.