Congress Fearing Defeat, Raising ‘Vote Theft’ Slogan: Dharmendra Pradhan

Bhubaneswar, July 11 : Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday lashed out at the Congress party, accusing it of coining the slogan “vote theft” out of fear of an impending defeat in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.

Reacting strongly to the Congress’s “Save the Constitution” rally held in Bhubaneswar and led by Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Pradhan dismissed the event as nothing more than another political outing by the “Congress prince.”

In a post on social media platform X, Pradhan said, “Rahul Gandhi is making vague statements like ‘not knowing the path to take.’ This wasn’t a rally to save the Constitution, but an attempt to save Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party from political irrelevance.”

He further asserted that the people of Odisha have complete trust in the BJP and have long rejected the Congress, which he described as a “non-existent force” in the state. “Over the past decade, the poor, Dalits, Adivasis, farmers, and workers of Odisha have consistently rejected Congress. Rahul Gandhi’s claims about fighting for their welfare are nothing but political deception,” Pradhan said.

Referring to the party’s recent electoral losses, Pradhan pointed out Congress’s poor performance in Maharashtra and Haryana. He accused the Congress leadership of blaming democratic institutions and the Election Commission instead of accepting the people’s mandate. “The Congress must reflect on its own failures instead of levelling baseless accusations,” he added.

Calling out the Congress’s criticism of the Election Commission of India (ECI), Pradhan said it is ironic that the same party which once “imposed the Emergency and trampled democracy” is now talking about saving the Constitution.

He emphasized that people across the country, including Odisha, are aware of the Congress party’s “tricks and deception” and will continue to reject such “anti-people and anti-constitutional forces” in future elections.

Pradhan’s comments come in the wake of Rahul Gandhi’s allegations during the Bhubaneswar rally, where the Congress leader accused the BJP and ECI of conspiring to steal the upcoming Bihar election, similar to what he claimed happened in Maharashtra.

The war of words signals an intensifying political battle ahead of upcoming state elections, with both parties sharpening their narratives to win over public opinion.