By Speaking on Thursday, Shah accused the Congress and other opposition parties of resorting to what he described as negative politics instead of strengthening their connection with voters. He argued that if Rahul Gandhi wanted to bring the Congress back to power, the party would need to address public concerns, deliver welfare schemes in the states it governs and earn people’s trust through its work.
Shah Targets Rahul Gandhi Over Protests and Foreign Visits
Shah criticised Rahul Gandhi over his visits abroad, questioning his absence from the country and taking a dig at the Congress leader’s approach to politics.
“People of the country understand you,” Shah said, adding that Gandhi could not expect to gain power by organising demonstrations in Delhi with Congress workers brought in from other states.
Referring to protests led by Gandhi against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of vote theft, Shah said political demonstrations could not overturn an electoral mandate.
“You cannot belie the country’s mandate through political machinations and mobocracy,” he said.
The home minister maintained that the BJP’s strength came from its extensive network of grassroots workers and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s engagement with the public. According to Shah, BJP workers remained connected with people, understood their problems and worked to address them.
Shah Cites Congress’s Long Absence From Power in Several States
To support his argument, Shah pointed to the Congress’s prolonged absence from power in several states. He said the party had been out of power in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh for 41 years, West Bengal for 54 years and Tamil Nadu for 64 years. He also claimed that Congress had been unable to form full-majority governments in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh for 28 years.
Shah stressed that these setbacks began before Modi became Prime Minister, arguing that the Congress could not attribute its electoral difficulties solely to the BJP or the current political environment.
He predicted that the BJP would continue winning elections despite opposition allegations of electoral irregularities. Shah also said the Congress’s political approach would prevent it from forming a government until 2030.
Shah Accuses Opposition of Double Standards on Election Results
The home minister accused the Congress of applying what he called double standards when responding to election results. He cited the party’s victories in Himachal Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala, arguing that it had not raised the same objections about the Election Commission or voter lists after winning those contests.
According to Shah, the opposition’s allegations of vote theft had become a recurring response to electoral defeats rather than part of a consistent effort to address concerns about the electoral process.
He further alleged that the Congress and its allies were using the issue of vote theft to protect infiltrators in the country. These remarks formed part of his broader attack on opposition parties, which he accused of making excuses for their declining electoral fortunes.
Shah Turns Attention to Punjab and AAP
Shah also targeted the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab, alleging that drug trafficking had flourished under its rule. He predicted that voters in the state would eventually bring an NDA government to power.
Warning AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal against what he described as the “politics of excuses”, Shah said governments were expected to deliver results rather than repeatedly defend their performance.
He asserted that an NDA government in Punjab would work to end drug trafficking in the state.
Shah’s remarks underline the BJP’s effort to frame its electoral position around grassroots organisation and governance while challenging the opposition to offer voters a stronger alternative. His prediction of three more decades in power also signals the confidence with which the BJP leadership is presenting its long-term political ambitions.
