Allies skipped INDIA bloc meeting over Rahul Gandhi’s leadership: Chouhan

New Delhi, Sep 30 : Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, claiming that allies of the INDIA bloc skipped the opposition meeting because they were unwilling to accept Gandhi’s leadership.

Chouhan also claimed that differences over Gandhi’s leadership existed within the Congress itself.

“If Congress leaders do not accept him as their leader, how will the country accept him as a leader?” he asked.

Referring to the INDIA bloc meeting, Chouhan said several alliance partners were either absent or represented differently. He said the DMK did not attend the meeting, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had already declined to participate, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav was represented by party leaders, while Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray was expected to join virtually.

Chouhan also referred to political hoardings that appeared in Delhi ahead of the meeting, taking aim at opposition leaders over their positions on the Election Commission.

On electoral rolls, Chouhan said maintaining an accurate voter list was essential for democracy. He questioned objections to removing the names of deceased persons and ensuring that only eligible citizens remained on the electoral rolls.

“A clean voter list is essential for a healthy democracy,” he said, alleging that opposition parties blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their electoral defeats.

Chouhan also questioned the differing election results across states and referred to the Samajwadi Party’s performance in Uttar Pradesh in the last Lok Sabha elections.

“When they lose, they make excuses by alleging vote theft. Votes have not been stolen,” he said, adding that voters had rejected the Congress.

The remarks came ahead of the INDIA bloc meeting in New Delhi, amid differences among opposition parties over leadership and electoral issues.