Shah had cited BJP's victories in Gujarat civic polls and recent Assembly bypolls to counter Opposition allegations against Election Commission.
NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his allegations against the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, arguing that the Congress had been losing elections for decades and could not attribute its electoral setbacks to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Addressing a press conference following the BJP's victory in Gujarat's civic elections, Shah accused Gandhi of refusing to acknowledge the Congress's declining electoral performance and urged him to introspect rather than question the electoral process.
The Home Minister said the Congress had suffered repeated defeats in states such as Gujarat, West Bengal and Tripura long before the latest electoral roll revision exercise. He questioned how a process introduced after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections could explain losses extending over several decades.
His remarks came amid continuing protests by the Congress and other INDIA bloc parties against CEC Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in electoral roll revisions and the functioning of the Election Commission.
๐ฆ๐ต๐ฎ๐ต ๐พ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐' ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ
Shah said the Congress had failed to regain power in several states for decades and maintained that these defeats could not be connected to the SIR exercise.
He pointed to Tripura, where he said the Congress had not formed a government for 33 years, and West Bengal, where the party had remained out of power for 54 years.
The Home Minister also referred to Gujarat, where the Congress last formed a government in 1985, to argue that the party's electoral difficulties substantially predated the current controversy.
Shah questioned Gandhi's criticism of the electoral roll revision process, saying the Congress needed to examine the reasons for its prolonged electoral decline.
He argued that the party had continued to lose elections during Gandhi's emergence as its principal leader, his tenure as Congress president and his present role as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
๐๐๐ท๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐น๐น ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐น๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ
The Home Minister highlighted the BJP's performance in the recent Gujarat civic elections, describing the results as evidence of continued public support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling party.
According to Shah, the BJP won 90 of the 104 seats contested across three urban local bodies in Gujarat.
The party secured 38 of the 44 seats in the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation and obtained majorities in the Thara and Okha municipalities.
Shah argued that the Congress should assess why it had been unable to challenge the BJP's dominance in Gujarat rather than attribute its defeats to alleged irregularities in the electoral system.
He also referred to the use of ballot papers in the elections, questioning allegations that electronic voting machines were responsible for the BJP's victories.
๐๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐น๐น ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฑ
Shah cited recent Assembly byelection results in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to reinforce his criticism of the Congress.
He claimed that the BJP candidate in Naogaon defeated the Congress by approximately 1.42 lakh votes, while the party secured a substantial victory in Nandigram with around 76% of the votes and a margin of 1.22 lakh.
The Home Minister also said the BJP had won Rejinagar in West Bengal by more than 75,000 votes, defeating the Trinamool Congress.
In Puducherry, he said an NDA candidate belonging to the All India N R Congress won by 8,482 votes, while the Congress secured approximately 22% of the votes.
Shah presented these results as evidence that the Congress was struggling to retain public support across different regions.
The electoral figures were cited by the Home Minister during his political attack on the Opposition.
๐ข๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ถ-๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐๐
Shah's remarks followed a joint press conference addressed by Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc leaders, who reiterated their opposition to the functioning of the Election Commission under Gyanesh Kumar.
The Opposition has alleged irregularities in the SIR process and raised concerns about the possible exclusion of eligible voters from electoral rolls.
Gandhi maintained that the Opposition's campaign was aimed at restoring public confidence in democratic institutions and protecting the integrity of elections.
The Congress and its allies have also questioned the independence and accountability of the Election Commission, while demanding action against the Chief Election Commissioner.
These allegations remain contested, with the BJP rejecting the Opposition's claims and maintaining that electoral roll revisions are necessary to ensure accurate voter lists.
๐ฆ๐ต๐ฎ๐ต ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ต ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐
Escalating his criticism, Shah predicted that the Congress would face another defeat in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
He asserted that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance would return to power with a substantial majority and accused the Congress of pursuing negative politics.
The Home Minister also alleged that the Opposition's resistance to electoral roll revision was intended to protect the inclusion of ineligible voters, including alleged infiltrators, on electoral rolls. The Opposition has rejected such allegations and maintained that its concerns relate to the voting rights of legitimate citizens.
Shah said the Congress could not rebuild public trust merely by repeatedly questioning election results and the institutions responsible for conducting polls.
The exchange reflects the intensifying confrontation between the government and the Opposition over electoral administration, with the SIR exercise and the role of the Chief Election Commissioner emerging as major points of political dispute.