Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president B Mahesh Kumar Goud and AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan on Saturday set Oct 15 deadline for ministers, district Congress presidents, and party cadres to ensure the collection of at least 100 signatures from every village as part of the nationwide campaign against the BJP's alleged "vote chori" (vote theft).
In an online meeting with DCC presidents and district in-charge ministers, the leaders said the signature collection drive in Telangana had slowed due to heavy rains and the festival season but stressed that it must be expedited and completed within 10 days.
The Telangana unit aims to send 12 lakh signatures to the AICC, which will compile submissions from all states and present them to the Election Commission of India (ECI), supporting Rahul Gandhi’s claim that the BJP was manipulating elections through “vote theft.”
Mahesh Goud alleged that in some states, including Maharashtra and Bihar, there were instances of 40 votes being registered in a single bedroom house, names of deceased persons continuing on electoral rolls, and living voters being deleted. “The BJP came to power at the Centre for three terms with ‘vote chori’. Take up this campaign as a prestigious issue and complete it on time,” he told the party functionaries.
Meenakshi Natarajan said Rahul Gandhi had elaborated on how the BJP had indulged in vote manipulation, yet the Election Commission failed to act. AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal have launched a nationwide movement on the issue, she said.
“Everyone must work sincerely and collect signatures in large numbers. Rahul Gandhi is fighting for two key causes—social justice and an end to vote theft,” she added.
Highlighting the Congress govt’s commitment to social justice, Meenakshi said the state’s move to provide 42% BC reservations made it a role model in the country. “The party should work hard and win both the Jubilee Hills by-election and the upcoming local body polls,” she said.
Courtesy : TOI
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