Nagaland BJP chief challenges Rahul Gandhi over electoral integrity claims

Nagaland BJP President Benjamin Yepthomi has challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to provide concrete evidence regarding allegations of “vote chori”, Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) manipulation, and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

During a press conference in Dimapur, Yepthomi criticized what he termed the “politics of allegation without evidence,” stating that serious claims against India’s electoral system cannot be validated through repetition alone. He noted that the Election Commission of India (ECI) clarified that the SIR order was approved unanimously and upheld by the Supreme Court.

Addressing claims that 13 crore voters were removed, Yepthomi stated that deletions accounted for approximately 1.06 percent of the electorate, primarily targeting duplicate and ineligible entries. He pointed out that significant deletions occurred in BJP-governed states, such as Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. He further questioned the Congress party’s stance on EVMs, suggesting their position shifts based on electoral outcomes.