Raghunandan Rao challenges Rahul Gandhi to Rae Bareli bypoll with ballot papers

BJP MP Raghunandan Rao criticised Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on the Election Commission and challenged him to resign from Rae Bareli for a bypoll using ballot papers. He questioned the Congress leader’s win margin and defended the use of EVMs in past elections

Hyderabad: BJP MP from Medak Raghunandan Rao on Thursday termed Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s remarks against the Election Commission of India “unfortunate” and challenged him to resign from Rae Bareli, following which a by-election could be held in the constituency using ballot papers.

Addressing a press conference here, Raghunandan Rao reminded that it was during the tenure of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi that elections were conducted using EVMs, replacing ballot papers.

---

“We are now suspicious over Rahul Gandhi’s victory in Rae Bareli with two lakh votes,” he said.

The BJP MP pointed out that when Congress won elections in Telangana and Karnataka using EVMs, there were no doubts over the machines and they “worked effectively”. Now, with the Congress fearing defeat in Bihar, he said, questions were being raised about their authenticity.