---
title: "Union Minister Ramdas Athawale Criticises Congress and Rahul Gandhi Over Election Commission Row"
url: https://mediathepower.com/?p=1562
date: 2026-11-13
modified: 2026-11-13
lang: en
author: "Rajiv Singh"
description: "SAMBALPUR — Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale accused the Congress party and its leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday of vitiating the country’s political atmosphere, asserting that..."
categories:
  - "News"
image: https://mediathepower.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/Untitled11-5.jpg
word_count: 399
---

# Union Minister Ramdas Athawale Criticises Congress and Rahul Gandhi Over Election Commission Row

**SAMBALPUR** — Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale accused the Congress party and its leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday of vitiating the country’s political atmosphere, asserting that Opposition demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amount to challenging the Constitution.

Addressing a press conference at the Circuit House in Sambalpur—following the unveiling of a statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in Angul—Athawale also spoke about Odisha’s history before mounting a sharp critique of the Opposition's ongoing protests regarding the Election Commission of India (ECI).

While acknowledging that every citizen has a constitutional right to protest, the Union Minister emphasised that the Constitution drafted by Dr. Ambedkar guarantees the complete independence of the Election Commission. He maintained that not even the central government has the authority to interfere in the poll body's functioning.

**Defence of Electoral Roll Revisions**

Responding to Opposition allegations that roughly 13 crore voters were unjustly removed from electoral rolls, Athawale stated that the deletions were carried out for valid reasons. Citing West Bengal as an example, he claimed that names were struck off following official verification processes that uncovered the submission of fake identity documents. Under such circumstances, he argued, demanding the Chief Election Commissioner's resignation is not constitutionally justified.

**Questioning 'Vote Theft' Allegations**

Athawale also pushed back against Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of "vote theft," questioning why the Congress leader had not raised similar concerns in states governed by the Congress or its allies, such as Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh.

According to the minister, the Opposition habitually questions the integrity of the electoral process whenever the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secures power. Pointing to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Athawale noted that although the NDA fell short of its target of winning over 400 seats, the alliance humbly accepted the public verdict and formed the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi without casting doubt on the system.

"People are the masters in a democracy," Athawale said.

**Eyeing the 2029 General Elections**

Highlighting the shifting political landscape, Athawale noted that while the Congress governed India for nearly six decades, the NDA has now secured a third consecutive term under Prime Minister Modi's leadership. He claimed that Gandhi is growing apprehensive because Modi has surpassed former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's record for continuity in office, adding that the ruling alliance is already fully prepared to contest the 2029 general elections.