BJP Targets Congress Using CPM’s Historic ‘Rigged Poll’ Allegations
NEW DELHI: In a strategic move to deflect ongoing accusations of electoral malpractice, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday mounted a sharp counter-offensive against the opposition. By revisiting historical allegations made by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) regarding the 1972 West Bengal assembly elections, the BJP sought to expose the irony in the current political alliance between the Congress and Left parties.
The saffron party’s aggressive stance comes at a time when opposition leaders, most notably Rahul Gandhi, have been vocal in their claims that the Election Commission and the BJP are working in tandem to manipulate democratic processes. The BJP has now turned the tables, highlighting how the Congress—now a partner to the CPM in various political fronts—was once accused by the very same party of orchestrating a “complete farce” of an election.
Nishikant Dubey’s Scathing Critique
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey spearheaded the party’s narrative by sharing archival accounts of the 1972 poll results. He pointedly mocked the Congress leadership, suggesting that their current rhetoric regarding “vote-chori” (theft of votes) is hypocritical given the party’s own checkered history.
Dubey specifically referenced the post-election assessment provided by the CPM, which had described the 1972 exercise as an “artificial victory” achieved through the blatant misuse of state machinery. According to the BJP leader, the Congress of that era disregarded basic democratic protocols, effectively rendering the electoral process a mockery.
Beyond the systemic failures noted by the CPM, Dubey invoked the treatment of iconic political figures during that period. He recounted the incident involving the late Jyoti Basu, who would later become the longest-serving Chief Minister of West Bengal. Dubey alleged that during the 1972 vote counting, Basu was physically intimidated and effectively forced into a loss, a stark reminder of the volatile political climate maintained by the Congress at the time.
Historical Context and Political Irony
The CPM’s original report from 1972 painted a grim picture of that election. The party had documented widespread violations, including the systematic denial of voting rights to ordinary citizens, the hijacking of ballot boxes, and the complete failure of the counting process to adhere to elementary fairness. At the time, the CPM argued that the Congress had prioritized state power over the integrity of the ballot, casting a long shadow over the legitimacy of the administration formed in the aftermath.
By excavating these records, the BJP is attempting to undermine the credibility of the INDIA bloc’s joint campaign against the current government. The BJP’s central message is clear: the alliance between the Congress and the Left is built on shaky moral ground, given that one partner once accused the other of destroying the very foundations of democracy that they now claim to be defending.
As political tensions escalate ahead of upcoming electoral battles, this historical jab highlights the depth of the distrust between the ruling party and the opposition. By framing the Congress as a repeat offender in electoral manipulation, the BJP is looking to inoculate itself against similar charges, effectively shifting the discourse from current allegations to the historical conduct of its political rivals.
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