New Delhi: The Congress party expressed deep concerns today over what it called “absolutely strange, inexplicable and beyond comprehension” election results in Maharashtra, suggesting systematic manipulation rather than mere political micro-management shaped the outcome.
Speaking at a press conference at AICC headquarters, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh and Media Department Chairman Pawan Khera highlighted the stark contrast between BJP’s performance and ground realities. The BJP secured an overwhelming victory with 132 wins out of 148 contested seats, with the Mahayuti alliance claiming 226 seats compared to Mahavikas Aghadi’s 54.
The Congress leaders pointed to several anomalies like BJP’s sweeping victory came despite farmer unrest and working-class dissatisfaction; the results contradicted BJP’s poor performance in Maharashtra just five months ago; senior INDIA bloc leaders lost while relatively unknown BJP candidates won; and the pattern suggested “targeted manipulation” rather than natural electoral outcomes.
Despite these setbacks, the INDIA bloc affirmed its commitment to key issues including pursuing caste census, protecting constitutional values, addressing the Manipur crisis, fighting economic disparities, and investigating “Modani” scams.
The party found a silver lining in Jharkhand, where the INDIA bloc secured victory. Khera attributed this success to having a “level playing field,” suggesting that fair electoral conditions lead to different outcomes. He specifically highlighted the Dharavi assembly result, where the Congress won by over 24,000 votes, interpreting it as a rejection of Adani’s redevelopment plans.
The Congress leadership called for Opposition unity against what they perceive as manipulation in the electoral process, including concerns about EVM usage. They committed to following coalition principles in Jharkhand while maintaining their stand against what they term as targeted electoral manipulation.
