Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over allegations concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, urging him to introspect instead of blaming electoral processes for repeated defeats.
Shah predicted that the Congress would suffer its fourth consecutive defeat in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, while the NDA would return to power with a strong majority.
Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi’s student outreach programme, Chhatron Ki Goonj, Shah accused the Congress leader of trying to mislead people through political campaigns rather than winning public trust.
His remarks followed the BJP’s victory in Gujarat’s urban local body elections, where the party secured 90 of 104 seats across three civic bodies, including 38 of 44 seats in the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation.
Shah claimed that the BJP’s growing vote share reflected continued public support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also cited the Congress’s electoral setbacks in Gujarat, Tripura and West Bengal to question its political strength.
Accusing Rahul Gandhi of having limited connections with rural voters, Shah said protests against SIR would not help the Congress regain public confidence. He also alleged that the opposition was using voter-list concerns to defend infiltrators.