'BJP can't cross 200 mark without irregularities in EVM,' Cong leader stirs row

New Delhi, May 15 (IANS) While the electoral machinery of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) remains in top gear to achieve the ‘400 paar’ target, Congress leader Rashid Alvi stirred a row on Wednesday as he claimed that the ruling party will find crossing past ‘200 mark’ difficult, without irregularities in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

“Forget 400, they can’t even cross the 200 mark. It can be possible only if they do any game with EVMs, in which they are masters,” said Alvi hinting that the ruling party would resort to tampering with voting machines for staying in power.

His controversial comment came in response to Home Minister Amit Shah’s assertions that the party had already won 270 seats by the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections and now the fight was for taking it to the 400 mark.

Congress leader, apparently miffed over Shah’s assertions, said that the latter should also get the Election Commission to officially declare these numbers.

He also accused the ruling party of ‘befooling and misleading’ the electorate for electoral gains.

Notably, Alvi is the not the only leader to forecast BJP’s ‘dwindling’ numbers in the 2024 elections, below the 200 mark.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, speaking to the Press along with SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday, said that the BJP won’t cross the 200 mark and added that it’s out of ‘nervousness’ that top BJP leaders are making tall claims about its Lok Sabha numbers.

“According to the numbers of the fourth phase, the INDIA bloc has taken the lead ahead and BJP-led NDA is trailing,” Kharge boasted before the newsmen.

He also added that the Congress party would bag enough numbers to stop the BJP's march to power.