NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his allegations against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, arguing that the party’s repeated election defeats began long before the exercise was introduced.
Shah said the SIR process came into effect only after 2024 and questioned why the Congress had struggled electorally in several states for decades. He challenged Gandhi to examine the reasons behind the party’s performance instead of attributing its losses to electoral roll revision.
The Home Minister also predicted that the Congress would face another defeat in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, expressing confidence that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would return to power with a substantial majority.
Responding to allegations that electronic voting machines had contributed to the BJP’s electoral success, Shah pointed to elections conducted using ballot papers. He argued that these results challenged the claim that voting machines were responsible for the party’s victories.
Shah cited Gujarat, Tripura and West Bengal to highlight the Congress’s long electoral struggles. He claimed the party had failed to win elections in Gujarat for 41 years, had not secured a chief ministership in Tripura for 33 years and had gone 54 years without a victory in West Bengal.
He said the Congress leadership needed to understand the reasons behind its performance across different states.
Shah asserted that the NDA would secure a strong mandate in the next general election and predicted a fourth consecutive Lok Sabha defeat for the Congress. He also accused Gandhi of opposing SIR in a manner that, according to him, protected infiltrators.
The Home Minister thanked voters in several states, including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tripura, West Bengal and Assam, for supporting the BJP and its allies.
Highlighting recent electoral performances, Shah referred to Rajasthan’s local body elections, claiming the BJP won around 90 per cent of municipal corporation seats, 66 per cent of municipal council seats and 65 per cent of municipality seats.
He also cited Tripura’s village committee elections, claiming the NDA secured approximately 77.5 per cent of the vote share and won thousands of seats, while the Congress secured only a small number.
Referring to bypolls in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Shah said the Congress failed to win a seat. He also highlighted victories by the BJP and its allies in selected constituencies.
Shah accused Gandhi of relying on political campaigns and public demonstrations rather than building a stronger connection with voters. He urged the Congress leadership to focus on grassroots engagement in villages, rural areas and remote regions.
The Home Minister argued that the party’s electoral challenges required introspection and a reassessment of its political strategy. He maintained that blaming SIR for repeated defeats would not help the Congress regain public support.
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