Karnataka report on fair elections becomes a 'severe jolt' for Rahul Gandhi, says BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi the results of a survey on EVMs conducted in Karnataka, and said the results have come as a "severe jolt" for the Opposition leader. The Congress has been targeting the BJP over electoral malpractices and alleged EVM rigging. 

BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia claimed the survey results published by a Karnataka government department reflect a contradiction between Gandhi and his party's government in the state. "It's a severe jolt to Rahul Gandhi, who keeps making baseless allegations of 'vote chori' and plays politics of deception to mislead people," he charged.

The Karnataka Monitoring and Evaluation Authority (KMEA), in its report on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, observed that the majority of the respondents across all four administrative divisions in the state believe that elections in India are conducted freely and fairly, and the EVMs deliver accurate results.

"It's his own party's government in Karnataka, which, in its report, says that 84.55 per cent of people, who participated in the survey, said that they have full confidence and faith in the Election Commission and the poll process. They said that the election process is fair and it provides a level playing field to all," PTI reported, quoting Bhatia. 

The BJP leader claimed 83.61 per cent of respondents expressed their confidence in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). "This raises a question on the credibility of Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha," Bhatia charged.

Rahul Gandhi has launched a sustained campaign against the BJP, accusing the ruling party of working in coalition with the Election Commission and rigging elections. Gandhi had charged that the BJP manipulated electoral rolls to win elections. Gandhi alleged the BJP won the Maharashtra and Haryana elections through electoral malpractices.