Union Minister Hits Back at Rahul Gandhi, Accuses Congress of Targeting EVMs and Constitutional Institutions
Hyderabad, September 27, 2026: Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy strongly criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party over allegations concerning electoral processes, the Election Commission and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Addressing a media conference at the BJP state office in Hyderabad, Kishan Reddy said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does not “steal votes” but seeks to win the hearts of the people. He alleged that the Congress celebrates electoral victories as its own achievement but questions EVMs and constitutional institutions when it faces defeat.
“Mr Rahul Gandhi, the BJP has never stolen votes. We win the hearts of the people,” Kishan Reddy said, according to reports of his remarks.
He strongly rejected allegations against the Election Commission and other constitutional institutions, arguing that the Congress had accepted the functioning of the Election Commission in states where it came to power, while raising questions about the electoral process in states where the BJP emerged victorious.Kishan Reddy Criticises Rahul Gandhi’s Remarks
Kishan Reddy alleged that Rahul Gandhi had repeatedly questioned several constitutional and national institutions, including the Election Commission, armed forces, investigative agencies and other public institutions.
He also criticised Rahul Gandhi for raising such issues on international platforms, saying that, in his view, such remarks could affect public confidence in national institutions.
Kishan Reddy further invoked the Emergency imposed in 1975 and accused the Congress of having a historical record of restricting civil liberties and press freedom during that period.
Attack on Congress Over Telangana Politics
The Union Minister also criticised the Telangana Congress government and Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, alleging that the government was failing to adequately address people’s concerns.
He questioned the political priorities of Congress leaders and alleged that the party was more focused on national-level political activities than on issues affecting Telangana.
SIR and Electoral Rolls .A major part of Kishan Reddy’s remarks focused on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
He defended the revision process and argued that removing names of deceased voters, duplicate entries, people who had permanently migrated and voters with incomplete or incorrect details was
necessary to maintain accurate electoral rolls. Kishan Reddy referred particularly to the SIR process in West Bengal and said that electoral-roll corrections should be viewed as part of maintaining the integrity of the electoral system. His comments come amid an ongoing political dispute, with Rahul Gandhi and the Congress alleging irregularities in voter-list revisions and questioning the Election Commission’s handling of the process.“Congress Should Introspect,” Says Kishan Reddy
Kishan Reddy urged the Congress to introspect over its electoral performance and political strategy. He cited the party’s decline in several states over the decades and criticised Congress governments in Telangana, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh over economic and governance issues.
He said voters were seeking stable governance and effective leadership and credited the Narendra Modi-led NDA government with various welfare and infrastructure initiatives.On Election Commission Differences
Responding to questions about reports of differences among Election Commissioners, Kishan Reddy said that internal discussions and correspondence were normal within a democratic institution. He claimed that the three Election Commissioners had subsequently met and clarified that there were no differences among them.
On Law and Order .Asked about Congress criticism of communal harmony and law-and-order conditions, Kishan Reddy contrasted the current situation with previous Congress-led governments. He claimed that
major cities had experienced fewer such incidents in recent years under the Narendra Modi government.
BJP’s Defence of Electoral Process
Kishan Reddy’s remarks come amid an increasingly heated political debate over electoral rolls, SIR and the Election Commission. Rahul Gandhi has alleged “vote chori” and questioned the conduct of the poll process, while the BJP has rejected those allegations and defended the Election Commission and the electoral-roll revision process.
The competing claims have placed electoral transparency, voter-list revision and the role of constitutional institutions at the centre of the latest political debate.
