New Delhi, 15 Dec

Former Prime Minister HD Devegowda on Monday said the Opposition parties would "suffer" if they continue to raise allegations of "vote chori" and create suspicion in the minds of voters by blaming the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government.

Participating in a discussion on election reforms in the Rajya Sabha, he criticised the Opposition for making a mockery of the Prime Minister "in the streets and on the public platform".

"We also lost elections, but we never mocked any Prime Minister or public institution...This (India) is a very big country. A large country...Remember my friends, please, by using the words 'vote chori' you are going to suffer in the coming days," Devegowda said, referring to the Opposition members.

He asked what the Opposition is going to earn by "blaming Narendra Modi's leadership and creating a suspicion in the mind of the voters" through the claims of "vote chori".

"What has happened to their minds? Let them rectify," Devegowda said.

The former prime minister said that during his over seven decades of public life, he has never raised such issues of vote theft despite facing defeat in elections.

"We have never used such a word even when (former prime minister) Indira Gandhi got 400 seats, when (ex-prime minister) Rajiv Gandhi got 400 seats...Congress will suffer for raising slogans like vote chori and saying democracy is in danger. You are fear-mongering the people and creating suspicion in people’s minds," Devegowda said.

He also cited a letter written by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru regarding the inclusion of "18,000 votes" (voters) in Kerala.

"Why am I telling this (because) during the Nehru period also, there were certain lapses in the electoral system," said Devegowda, who was the prime minister between June 1, 1996 and April 21, 1997.

He said that the Congress party faced defeat in the recent Bihar elections despite raising the issues of mistakes in the electoral rolls.

"What happened after that, even after so much review (of the voters' list). Think (for) yourself! You got six MLAs," the senior Janata Dal (Secular) leader said.

Devegowda questioned the Opposition as to why they want to make allegations against the Prime Minister on the issue of the voters' list.

"They want to make allegations against the Prime Minister regarding the voter list. The Election Commission and the Supreme Court are there to handle these matters. The Election Commission has issued directions to all state units to rectify any issues. I have obtained sufficient documents.

"Modi ji, with his personal mandate of 286 seats, could have formed the government on his own, but he chose to bring back allies and political parties who had supported Atal Bihari Vajpayee and formed the NDA, even though he had the majority," Devegowda said.

The former PM said people of the country have full confidence in Modi's government and it will come back to power after the next Lok Sabha elections as well.

Participating in the debate, KR Suresh Reddy, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party's Rajya Sabha member from Telangana, said that electoral reforms are the backbone of a healthy democracy.

He said a large and diverse nation like India needs clean electoral rolls.

Asserting that strict re-verification should not become a mechanism for exclusion, Reddy said no eligible voter should lose their right to vote simply because accessing paperwork is difficult.

He said, while the concern definitely is on the voters' exclusion, "we should also be equally concerned about the percentage of voting".

"What is happening in voting today? Once the election ends, the drama begins. The biggest challenge that the Indian democracy has been facing in spite of two major Constitutional amendments has been the anti-defection. Anti-defection is the name of the game today, especially in smaller states, especially where the legislatures are small in number," Reddy said.

AIADMK's M Thambidurai raised the issues related to election campaigning.

"Election campaigns are one of the important election processes. In that, political parties must be given the proper chance to campaign," he said and cited problems faced by his party in Tamil Nadu in this regard.

Thambidurai said political parties were facing hardships in Tamil Nadu to conduct public meetings and to express their views to the public.