India opposition, BJP trade barbs after Moitra post on Bangladesh poll official

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra drew criticism on Thursday after she posted an old photograph showing the arrest of Bangladesh's former poll commissioner in an election-manipulation case. Moitra, a Lok Sabha member, shared the image on social media and described it as a sign of "things to come," suggesting it reflected the INDIA bloc's allegation that the Election Commission of India (ECI) chief is "colluding with the ruling BJP to rig elections".

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) objected to the remarks. National spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said Moitra, while serving as an Indian MP, "speaks like an enemy of the country" and questioned whether she was implying India's democratic system resembled that of Bangladesh, says Times of India.

The exchange came as Congress leaders continued to criticise the ECI's ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. During a meeting with All India Congress Committee (AICC) office-bearers, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the party must counter the revision process "politically, organisationally and legally". He warned that the exercise "could lead to the removal of legitimate voters". Other Congress officials described the SIR as a "sinister attempt to destroy Democracy" and repeated their "vote-chori" accusation.

Gandhi has also continued to question recent election results, calling the Bihar outcome "surprising" and alleging the verdict showed "vote chori on a gigantic scale, masterminded by the prime minister, the home minister, the EC".

The Election Commission said the SIR exercise is progressing, reporting that 50.25 crore enumeration forms have been distributed across 12 states and Union Territories covered in the first phase. According to the ECI, the forms reach 98.54% of the 50.97 crore eligible voters in those regions. The first phase includes Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and West Bengal, which are scheduled to hold elections in 2026.