The Tripura Congress has joined Rahul Gandhi’s nationwide “Vote Chori” campaign, alleging Election Commission bias and vote manipulation. PCC leaders also accused BJP of compromising National Highway quality due to hefty commissions, urging public vigilance ahead of elections and demanding accountability in infrastructure projects.
Tripura Pradesh Congress leaders on Sunday intensified their criticism of the ruling BJP, urging citizens to unite against alleged electoral malpractice and voicing concerns over deteriorating infrastructure in the state.
At a press conference in Agartala’s Congress Bhavan, party spokesperson Prabir Chakraborty called on the people of Tripura to join the nationwide campaign launched by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi against what he termed “Vote Chori” (vote theft). The campaign seeks to mobilize public opinion against alleged manipulation of elections and lapses in the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Chakraborty replayed a recorded statement of Rahul Gandhi, in which the Congress leader alleged that since 2014, the BJP had systematically used the Election Commission to influence both Lok Sabha and state assembly elections. According to Gandhi, there had been consistent irregularities in voter lists, vote counting, and final polling figures.
Discrepancies in 2024 Lok Sabha Election Figures
Highlighting the most recent concerns from the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Chakraborty pointed out that the ECI’s final turnout figures—released 10 days after polling—showed an 8–9% increase compared to earlier provisional statistics. These discrepancies, he said, amounted to thousands of additional votes in 9–10 constituencies, all of which were won by NDA candidates.
He cited a reputed survey agency’s findings that results in 79 constituencies did not reflect public opinion. The survey also claimed that 72% of citizens had lost faith in the ECI’s impartiality.
“The Commission is no longer an independent constitutional body. It is acting like a parrot of Modi and Shah,” Chakraborty alleged. He accused the ECI of deliberately deleting genuine voters’ names under the pretext of voter list revision, while simultaneously adding illegal entries to tip the electoral balance.
He urged all democratic forces, civil society groups, and ordinary citizens to remain vigilant at the booth level ahead of Tripura’s next assembly polls. To register support for the anti-vote theft movement, people were encouraged to call 9650003420 or visit https://votechori.in/ecdemand.
Highway Quality Allegedly Compromised by ‘Commission Burden’
In a separate development, Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Ashis Kumar Saha criticized the ruling BJP for allegedly compromising the quality of National Highway 108 and 208 construction works.
Speaking to the media in Khowai, Saha claimed that the construction agency tasked with the projects was forced to bear “hefty commissions” allegedly demanded by BJP leaders “from Delhi to the Panchayat level.”
“It is an open secret that these commissions have drained the project budget. Due to this, the quality of construction has suffered, and the people are paying the price in the form of poor road conditions and massive inconvenience,” Saha stated.
He added that the Chairman of the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) is expected to visit the state soon. The Chief Minister, Dr. Manik Saha, has already written to the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways on the matter. “We hope the government will take corrective measures without delay,” the PCC president said.
Saha made these remarks while attending a conference of unorganised Congress workers in Khowai, where infrastructure, governance, and public accountability were key themes of discussion.
Broader Political Context
The Congress’s twin attack on electoral integrity and infrastructure quality underscores the party’s strategy to connect national-level political narratives with local governance issues. While Rahul Gandhi’s “Vote Chori” campaign aims to rally public opinion across the country, state leaders in Tripura are linking these concerns to tangible everyday grievances, such as road quality and public inconvenience.
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As Tripura prepares for its next round of assembly elections, the Congress appears determined to frame the political battle not only as a fight for fair elections but also as a struggle for better governance and transparent public works. Whether these issues will translate into significant electoral gains remains to be seen, but the party’s messaging suggests an aggressive push to challenge the BJP on multiple fronts.
