The opposition's once-united front against the alleged 'vote chori' (vote theft) has developed significant cracks. A public spat between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Congress has laid bare a strategic divide on how to challenge the electoral process, shifting focus from a common adversary to internal discord.
TMC's Booth-Level Critique and Congress's Sharp Retort
The fissure opened when TMC's national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, questioned the approach of the Congress and other regional parties. He asserted that the real 'vote chori' was occurring through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls under the Election Commission's watch, not through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
Banerjee claimed that opposition parties failed to grasp this mechanism, which he alleged led to the BJP's high strike rates in recent state elections. "If the Congress and other parties could have caught this game, the BJP would have lost all the states it won last year," he stated. He emphasized that the fight was "on the ground at the booth level and not on social media and TV channels."
The Congress reaction was swift and acerbic, led by its West Bengal chief, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. He launched a personal attack on Abhishek Banerjee, who is West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew. Chowdhury credited Rahul Gandhi with originating and sustaining the 'vote chori' campaign, claiming it forced the Supreme Court to intervene at least five times in the SIR process.
"This nephew of Bengal is now trying to copy the agenda of Rahul Gandhi and take credit," Chowdhury alleged. He further accused Banerjee of consistently attacking the Congress while sparing the BJP, even referencing Banerjee's appearances before the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The Core Dispute: Allegations on Electoral Rolls
At the heart of the controversy is Abhishek Banerjee's specific allegation regarding voter list manipulation. He claimed that "algorithms and software" were being used to disenfranchise 50 lakh to 1 crore voters. He challenged the Election Commission to publicly release the list of 1.36 crore "logical discrepancies" if such manipulation was not occurring.
Following a heated meeting with the Election Commission on Wednesday, the TMC adopted a firm stance. The party demanded the immediate publication of the full list of voters flagged under 'Logical Discrepancy', with a constituency-wise breakdown, and transparency on the criteria and legal authority used to create this category.
Implications for Opposition Unity
This public clash signifies more than a mere war of words. It reveals a fundamental strategic rift within the opposition. While the Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, has used the 'vote chori' issue for broad political campaigning, the TMC is pushing for a granular, booth-level legal and administrative battle focused on the electoral roll revision process.
The discord undermines the collective opposition narrative against the ruling BJP and the Election Commission. It also highlights the ongoing tension between national and regional parties within the opposition space, particularly in states like West Bengal where they are direct competitors. The episode leaves the future of coordinated opposition strategy on electoral integrity questions in doubt.
