Priyanka Gandhi dares BJP to contest “fair election” on ballot

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday (December 14, 2025) challenged the BJP to contest and win a “fair election” conducted through ballot papers and said that the election commissioners (ECs) would have to answer the nation one day as to how they “conspired” to take away people’s voting rights.

Addressing the ‘Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod’ rally at Ramlila grounds, Ms. Vadra also criticised the Narendra Modi government’s policies, saying the government has failed on all fronts.

Also read | Congress rally against ‘vote chori’: EC should not forget they are country’s EC not of Modi, says Rahul Gandhi

She claimed that the growing unemployment rate has been driving the youth towards substance abuse and betting apps. She alleged that an official in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) was associated with those behind a betting app but didn’t name anyone.

“The youth of the country are grappling with price rise, unemployment, and exam paper leaks, and there is no one to help them. They are turning to substance abuse and spending the entire day on betting apps. Who is running these betting apps? According to sources, an individual in the PMO is involved in the betting scam. Is this being discussed in the House?” she asked.

As the party intensified its campaign against alleged “vote theft,” Ms. Vadra named Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi as people who are “attacking” India’s democracy.

“For the first time in history, the entire opposition is stating that they don’t trust the EC and the polls are not being conducted properly. From announcement of polls, voters list, model code of conduct, campaign, polling, counting, EVMs and results, every step has been made suspicious by them (election commissioners),” she said.

“I challenge. The BJP should contest a fair election on the ballot paper once. They will never be able to win, and the BJP also knows this fact,” she added.

Referring to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, she said, “In Bihar, 65 lakh votes were removed, and even if you set aside this evidence, during the model code of conduct in Bihar, they sent Rs 10,000 to people’s bank accounts with the EC looking the other way. If this is not vote theft, then what is?”