“Mummy Me Phirse Election Haar Gaya”: BJP Trolls Rahul Gandhi With Varun Dhawan Meme as Mahayuti Leads

Bharatiya Janata Party stepped up its online offensive against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday, using trending memes and sharp political barbs to counter allegations raised against the Election Commission of India during the counting of votes for Maharashtra's municipal corporation elections.

The BJP's attack came as the ruling Mahayuti alliance surged ahead across the state, including in the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls.

Mahayuti races ahead in Maharashtra civic polls

Vote counting was held for 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, with results indicating a decisive edge for the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance led by Eknath Shinde. The combine was leading in at least 1,635 of more than 2,800 wards, while rival parties together were restricted to around 190 leads.

In Mumbai, the Mahayuti alliance was poised to cross the majority mark of 114 seats required to gain control of the BMC, a civic body long considered a stronghold of the Thackeray family. Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena contested the polls together but appeared unable to halt the Mahayuti's momentum.

The Congress, along with ally Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, managed to secure control in Latur but failed to make a broader impact across the state's civic elections.

Rahul Gandhi raises ink row, targets Election Commission

Amid the counting process, Rahul Gandhi renewed his criticism of the Election Commission, alleging wrongdoing linked to the quality of indelible ink used during voting. Sharing a media report on X that referred to complaints about fading ink markers, Gandhi wrote, "Election commission gaslighting citizens is how trust has collapsed in our democracy. Vote Chori is an anti-national act."

Gandhi has repeatedly accused the Election Commission of acting in favour of the BJP, alleging large-scale voter fraud, deletions and discrepancies. In the past, he has held multiple press conferences where the Congress claimed to present evidence supporting these charges.

BJP hits back with Varun Dhawan meme and 'khandani chor' jibe

The BJP responded swiftly, deploying a viral meme featuring actor Varun Dhawan's one-sided smile, currently popular on social media during promotions for his upcoming film Border 2. The party's official X handle shared a morphed version of the meme with the caption, "𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚. 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐭𝐡𝐚. 𝐀𝐧𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐧 [Legacy, prestige, discipline]," taking a veiled dig at Congress's repeated electoral defeats.

The meme also carried the line, "Mummy me phirse election haar gaya [Mother, I lost again]," mocking Gandhi's claims even before the final results were declared.

BJP leaders accused Gandhi of attempting to undermine the electoral process to deflect from an expected loss. National spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, "Bahana brigade back! Accepting defeat before counting ends?" He added, "Rahul Back to doing what he does best discredit, distort and disinform. 'Khandani chor' now regurgitating claims of Thackerays."

Poonawalla also questioned the outcome of Gandhi's earlier 'vote chori' allegations during elections in Bihar.

BJP leaders accuse Congress of habitual excuses

Another BJP spokesperson, Pradeep Bhandari, accused the Congress of routinely raising allegations to escape accountability. "Every season the 'parivarvadi', to escape scrutiny, come up with one or the other allegation, which turns out damp squib in the court of law and the court of public opinion," he said.

Bhandari went further in his criticism, claiming, "The anti-national party, which gets backing from Pakistan, is searching for a scapegoat after looking at imminent defeat in the BMC elections."

As counting continued across Maharashtra, the BJP maintained that the civic poll results reflected public confidence in the Mahayuti alliance, while dismissing the opposition's claims as attempts to cast doubt on an unfavourable verdict.