BJP Takes Dig at Rahul Gandhi with Viral Meme During Maharashtra Civic Polls
The Bharatiya Janata Party's social media team seized the moment during the Maharashtra civic elections. They targeted Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi with a sharp meme as vote counting progressed. The BJP-Shiv Sena Mahayuti alliance appeared headed for victory while the Congress trailed behind.
Viral Video Meme Mocks Gandhi's Election Record
A 19-second video meme quickly spread across social media platforms. It cleverly replaced actor Varun Dhawan's face with Rahul Gandhi's image. The caption read "Mummy me phirse election haar gaya" which translates to "Mom, I lost the election again." This humorous take referenced Gandhi's previous electoral setbacks.
BJP's 'Khandani Chor' Accusation Against Gandhi
The BJP launched a strong verbal attack on the Congress leader. They used the term "khandani chor" to criticize his statements about the election process. Party officials accused Gandhi of attempting to mislead the public about the civic polls in Maharashtra.
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla responded forcefully to Gandhi's comments. He took to social media platform X to question the timing of Gandhi's allegations. "Bahana brigade back! Accepting defeat before counting ends?" Poonawalla wrote in his post.
The BJP spokesperson further accused Gandhi of trying to undermine the electoral process. "Rahul back to doing what he does best -- discredit, distort and disinform. 'Khandani chor' now regurgitating claims of Thackerays," Poonawalla charged in his social media statement.
Background to the Political Exchange
This exchange followed Rahul Gandhi's earlier remarks about the election process. The Congress leader had claimed that "vote chori is an anti-national act." He also alleged that the Election Commission was "gaslighting" citizens during the civic polls.
Gandhi raised concerns about the quality of indelible ink used in marker pens. These pens were employed during Thursday's voting across Maharashtra's municipal corporations.
Election Details and Current Trends
Voting took place in 29 Municipal Corporations across Maharashtra on Thursday. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections attracted particular attention as counting continued.
According to latest trends available at 5 pm, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance maintained a strong position. They were leading in 130 of the 227 seats in the BMC elections. This put them comfortably ahead of the Thackeray brothers' camp which was leading in 71 seats.
The BJP appeared set to become the single largest party in India's richest civic body. They were leading in 93 seats while their ally Shiv Sena was ahead in 27 seats according to reports.
Among opposition parties, Shiv Sena (UBT) was leading in 62 seats. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena showed strength in nine seats. The Congress trailed with leads in 14 seats while the NCP (SP) managed just one seat according to available data.
Vote counting continues across Maharashtra as political parties await final results. The BJP's social media strategy highlighted their confidence in the emerging outcome while targeting their political opponents.
