Assam CM challenges Rahul over flawed poll process

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 Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to demand the resignation of opposition-ruled state governments and announce an electoral boycott if he genuinely believed that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar could not ensure free and fair elections.

Taking aim at Gandhi amid the Congress's criticism of the Election Commission of India (ECI), Sarma questioned why the opposition leader continued to participate in elections in states governed by the Congress and its allies if he considered the electoral process fundamentally compromised. 

"Today, Rahul Gandhi is talking about the results of the Assam and Bengal elections," Sarma said, challenging the Congress leader to explain his position on elections conducted under the same Chief Election Commissioner. 

Sarma asked Gandhi to demand the resignation of governments in Kerala, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Telangana and Tamil Nadu, arguing that the opposition could not selectively question the electoral process when results went against it. 

He also challenged Gandhi to announce that the Congress would not contest future elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand as long as Gyanesh Kumar remained the Chief Election Commissioner. 

The Assam Chief Minister further questioned whether Gandhi would refuse to form a government even if his party or alliance won an election conducted under the same electoral authority. 

Sarma alleged that the Congress was applying different standards to electoral outcomes, accepting results when it won and questioning the process when it lost. 

"You win an election, and the EVMs are fine; I win an election, and the election is bad," he said, criticising what he described as the opposition's selective approach to electoral legitimacy. 

He also questioned Gandhi's position as Leader of the Opposition, arguing that the Congress leader had attained the post through the same electoral system that he was now criticising. 

The Chief Minister's remarks came as the Congress stepped up its campaign against the Election Commission, raising concerns over its functioning and the credibility of the electoral process. 

Sarma accused Rahul Gandhi of attempting to discredit constitutional institutions instead of accepting electoral verdicts and working to improve the party's political performance. 

The BJP leader's challenge was aimed at highlighting what he portrayed as contradictions in the Congress's position on elections held under the current Chief Election Commissioner. 

The controversy reflects the growing political confrontation between the BJP and Congress over the Election Commission's role, electoral transparency and the credibility of election results. 

While the Congress has raised questions about the functioning of the poll body, Sarma maintained that the opposition should demonstrate consistency by applying its objections to every election rather than questioning the process selectively. 

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