Kharge Trains Guns on Modi–Trump Nexus, Calls Out “Vote Chori” Shielding by ECI
- By Thetripurapost Desk, New Delhi
- Sep 07, 2025
- 400
In a no-holds-barred offensive, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of sacrificing India’s economic and diplomatic interests at the altar of his personal friendship with former U.S. President Donald Trump, even as he escalated charges of voter fraud cover-ups by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The Trump–Modi Fallout
Speaking to reporters, Kharge painted a stark picture of how Modi’s alignment with Trump damaged India’s trade prospects. “Trump imposed a 50% tariff, which destroyed our people. Modi may have gained a friend, but India lost ground abroad,” he charged.
The Congress chief said Modi had drifted from India’s time-tested tradition of neutrality in foreign affairs. “Our foreign policy is rooted in balance, not bias. Modi has upset this equation,” Kharge argued, even linking Trump’s tariffs to Modi’s subsequent mishandling of tensions with Beijing. “After denying Chinese incursions, he himself walked into China’s trap.”
GST Politics and Economic Barbs
Kharge’s offensive also turned domestic. Taking aim at the Goods and Services Tax (GST), he said the government’s recent revisions of slabs were both late and cynical. “For eight years, we demanded two slabs to help the poor. Instead, Modi’s government imposed four to five slabs, squeezing citizens. Now, with elections looming, they have tweaked it for political gain.”
Despite the criticism, Kharge added, “We will still welcome any move that eases the burden on the poor.”
Bihar Elections: “Vote Theft” Becomes War Cry
Looking toward the Bihar polls, Kharge outlined his party’s agenda—unemployment, law and order, women’s safety, caste-based neglect, and farmers’ struggles. But he emphasized one issue above all: what he calls “Vote Chori.”
In an explosive charge, Kharge accused the Election Commission of obstructing the probe into alleged voter deletions in Karnataka’s Aland constituency. “Ahead of the 2023 elections, 5,994 forged applications were uncovered. A sophisticated operation robbed citizens of their rights. Yet today, the ECI has stonewalled crucial records, shielding the guilty,” Kharge alleged.
He went further, directly targeting the ruling party: “Is the Commission bending under BJP’s pressure? Who is it protecting—BJP’s Vote Chori department?”
ECI’s Silence, Bigger Stakes
While the Election Commission has routinely dismissed such accusations as baseless, its silence on Kharge’s latest salvo has only added intrigue. The Aland constituency was ultimately won by the Congress candidate, but Kharge insists the fight goes beyond one seat. “This is not about who won or lost. It’s about protecting every Indian’s right to vote. If this right is compromised, democracy itself is at risk.”
The Bigger Picture
Kharge’s attack marks a clear sharpening of Congress’s election strategy: tie Modi’s foreign missteps, economic mismanagement, and electoral malpractice into one overarching narrative of betrayal. By dragging Trump, tariffs, China, GST, Bihar, and the ECI into a single frame, Kharge is signaling that Congress plans to wage a battle not just for power, but for what it calls the “soul of Indian democracy.”