Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused the BJP of killing the democracy after the saffron party registered an unlikely victory in the controversial Chandigarh mayoral election.
The AAP and Congress had fielded a joint candidate for the mayoral elections, which was being seen as the first direct contest between INDIA alliance and the BJP.
The INDIA alliance candidate Kuldeep Singh recieved 20 votes (13 AAP + 7 Congress) BJP’s Manoj Sonkar who got 16 votes.
However, Sonkar still won the the Mayor’s post as presiding officer Anil Masih declared Singh’s eight votes invalid.
The AAP and Congress alleged that Masih inked the ballots of their members with hai own pen in order to declare them invalid.
“It is beyond imagination what the BJP, which can kill democracy in front of the entire world in the mayor elections, will do to remain in power in Delhi. Years ago, on this day, Godse had assassinated Gandhiji and today Godsevadis (Godse followers) sacrificed his ideals and constitutional values,” he said.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the BJP of misusing the electoral machinery and said that the Chandigarh mayoral elections will further erode people’s confidence in fair elections.
“The brazen misuse of electoral machinery at the behest of BJP in the Chandigarh Mayoral polls will further erode the confidence of people in free and fair elections,” Kharge said.
The Congress president reiterated his “2024 last election” warning and accused the “Godse worshipper” BJP of murdering democracy on the day Mahatma Gandhi was killed by Nathuram Godse.
“As I said yesterday, 2024 is the last chance for us to save Democracy. If we do not come together, to save it from BJP, our future generations shall repent. On Gandhi ji’s Martyrs Day, Godse worshipper BJP has murdered Democracy and all ethos of Constitution,” Kharge added.