The Hindu reports: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday (May 6, 2026) alleged that every sixth BJP MP in the Lok Sabha secured his or her seat through “vote chori” and asked if they should be labelled “ghuspethiya” in that party's own parlance. Congress warns Election Commissioners, threatens strict action over ‘vote theft’"Through vote theft, sometimes individual seats are stolen, and at other times, an entire government. Of the 240 BJP MPs in the Lok Sabha, roughly every sixth MP secured seat through vote chori," the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha said in a post in Hindi on X."They are not hard to identify — should we, in the BJP's own parlance, label them 'ghuspethiya'?
There, the entire government itself is a 'ghuspethiya'. The very institutions they keep in their pockets - the ones they manipulate to distort voter lists and the electoral process — are themselves 'remote-controlled'," Mr. Gandhi said, in a scathing attack on the BJP.
Background
Vote theft through scientific means is dangerous to democracy in all States: Congress MP"Their real fear is the truth. For if fair elections were to be held, they would not be able to win even 140 seats today," he said.On Tuesday (May 5, 2026), Mr. Gandhi had termed the BJP's victory in Bengal and Assam assembly polls a "theft" of the mandate, and a big step forward in the saffron party's mission to "destroy" Indian democracy.Mr.
Key facts
- There, the entire government itself is a 'ghuspethiya'.
- The very institutions they keep in their pockets - the ones they manipulate to distort voter lists and the electoral process — are themselves 'remote-controlled'," Mr.
- Gandhi said, in a scathing attack on the BJP.
What this means
Gandhi has also come out in support of the TMC, which has been trounced by the BJP in the polls, and urged those gloating over the loss of Mamata Banerjee's party to put petty politics aside. Rahul Gandhi reiterates ‘vote theft’ charge in Raebareli"Some in the Congress, and others, are gloating about TMC's loss.They need to understand this clearly - the theft of Assam and Bengal's mandate is a big step forward by the BJP in its mission to destroy Indian democracy," Mr. Gandhi had said in a post on X."Put petty politics aside.
This is not about one party or another. This is about India," he said in his post.The BJP ousted Trinamool Congress from power in Bengal and captured power for the third time in a row in Assam in results of assembly polls declared on Monday (May 4, 2026).
Originally reported by The Hindu. This story has been edited and re-presented by BRIC Team.
