Opposition will suffer over Vote Chori claims: Ex-PM Deve Gowda

Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda on Monday said the Opposition parties would “suffer” if they continue to raise allegations of “vote chori” and create suspicion in the minds of voters by blaming the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Government.

Participating in a discussion on election reforms in the Rajya Sabha, Gowda criticised the Opposition for making a mockery about the Prime Minister “in the streets and on the public platform”.

“This (India) is a very big country. A large country. Congress may be in three states. Remember, my friends, please by using the words ‘vote chori’, you are going to suffer in the coming days. You are not going to win the battle,” Deve Gowda said, referring to the Opposition members.

He asked what the Opposition is going to earn by “blaming Narendra Modi’s leadership and creating a suspicion in the mind of the voters” through the claims of “vote chori”. “What has happened to their minds? Let them rectify,” Deve Gowda said.

The former prime minister said that during his over seven decades of public life, he has never raised such issues of vote theft despite facing defeat in elections. He also cited a letter written by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru regarding the inclusion of “18,000 votes” (voters) in Kerala.

“Why I am telling this (because) during the Nehru period also, there were certain lapses in the electoral system,” said Devegowda, who was the prime minister between June 1, 1996, and April 21, 1997. He said that the Congress party faced defeat in the recent Bihar elections despite raising the issues of mistakes in the electoral rolls.

Deve Gowda questioned the Opposition as to why they want to make allegations against the Prime Minister on the issue of the voters' list? “Election Commission is there. The Supreme Court is there. The Election Commission has given direction to all the state units to rectify all these things,” he said.

Deve Gowda said people of the country have full confidence in Narendra Modi’s government and it will come back to power after the next Lok Sabha elections as well.