"Public considers Gandhi-Vadra family anti-national, anti-Maharashtra party": BJP's Pradeep Bhandari

New Delhi [India], January 16 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pradeep Bhandari on Friday launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on the electoral process, accusing the party of making excuses ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election results.
BJP leader Bhandari claimed that the Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, has repeatedly lost elections and claimed that the public perceives the Gandhi-Vadra family as an anti-national and anti-Maharashtra force.
Speaking to ANI, Bhandari said, "The thieves are making excuses because ground reports clearly show that the Congress party is going to lose the BMC elections. Before every election, this family finds some excuse or another so that the public and their own workers don't question them."
He added, "Whenever there is an election, the public hands the Congress party, led by Rahul Gandhi, a crushing defeat... In both the court of public opinion and the court of law, the Congress party has proven to be a completely deceitful party... This tweet makes it clear that the public considers the Gandhi-Vadra family to be an anti-national, anti-Maharashtra party."
His remarks came after Rahul Gandhi had raised concerns over the erosion of public trust in the electoral process.
The Congress leader shared an article from the Mumbai Mirror highlighting voter worries regarding fading indelible ink.
In a post on X, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrote, "Election commission gaslighting citizens is how trust has collapsed in our democracy. Vote Chori is an anti-national act."
Meanwhile, the Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, has expanded its lead in the BMC elections, with the trends from preliminary data indicating the alliance is leading in 117 wards in Mumbai.
BJP is leading in 86 seats, Shiv Sena is leading in 31 seats in Mumbai. The Shiv Sena (UBT) alliance has crossed the 68 mark, with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leading in 9, the UBT Sena in 58, and the NCP (SP) in 1.
Similarly, Ajit Pawar's NCP is also leading in 1 seat, while the Congress party continued to have a dismal performance with leads in only 10 seats.
According to the BMC, UBT's Foram Parmar is trailing in ward 1, while the party candidate Gita Bhandari is leading in ward 32. Shinde's Shiv Sena candidate Varsha Tembelkar is leading in Ward 51. (ANI)