Amit Shah Challenges Rahul Gandhi For 2029, Congress Hits Back Over ‘Vote Chor’ Remark

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on Rahul Gandhi over the Congress leader’s allegations of electoral irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and his protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Highlighting the BJP’s electoral victories across states, Shah said the Congress had been losing elections for decades, long before the SIR exercise began in 2024.

Shah also challenged the Congress to prepare for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, warning the party of another “crushing defeat”. The Congress hit back, accusing the home minister of celebrating electoral victories while questions were being raised about the country’s electoral system.

Addressing a press conference following the BJP’s performance in Gujarat’s civic body polls, Shah questioned Rahul Gandhi’s allegations and urged the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha to introspect over the Congress’s repeated election defeats.

Amit Shah Lists Congress’ Electoral Losses, Targets Rahul Gandhi

Shah argued that the Congress’s electoral setbacks in several states predated the introduction of the SIR exercise.

“The SIR only came into effect after 2024. Ever since you emerged as the principal leader of the Congress—and subsequently as its President and the Leader of the Opposition—the party has consistently lost elections,” Shah said.

Citing the Congress’s electoral record in West Bengal, Tripura and Gujarat, the home minister questioned whether the party could attribute decades of defeats to the SIR process.

“For 33 years, no Congress Chief Minister has won in Tripura. In Bengal, the Congress party has not achieved a victory for 54 years. In states like Bengal, Tripura, and Gujarat, the Congress party has faced defeat for three, four, or even five decades. I want to ask Shri Rahul Gandhi directly: is this the result of the SIR? The SIR only came into effect after 2024,” Shah said.

The remarks came after the BJP secured 38 of the 44 seats in the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) and won majorities in the Thara and Okha municipalities.

Shah Highlights BJP’s Bypoll Wins, Challenges Congress For 2029

Shah also cited the BJP and its allies’ victories in recent bypolls, presenting the results as evidence of the party’s electoral strength.

“In Naogaon, the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate won by a margin of 1,42,000 votes; the BJP wrested this seat from the Congress party. In Nandigram, the BJP candidate won with 76% of the vote, securing a massive lead of 1,22,000 votes. In Rejinagar, West Bengal, the BJP won by over 75,000 votes—snatching the seat from the Trinamool—while in Puducherry, the NDA candidate from ally AINRC won by 8,482 votes; the Congress secured only 22% of the votes,” he said.

Shah’s remarks were aimed at countering the Congress’s allegations of electoral manipulation and challenging the opposition party to prepare for the next general election.

Congress Calls Shah’s Remarks ‘Heights Of Irony’

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal hit back at Shah, accusing the BJP of celebrating election results while allegedly undermining the electoral system.

“‘Heights of irony’ that Vote Chor Amit Shah is celebrating an election victory – when the whole problem is how they are destroying our electoral system. Amit Shah is already speaking about 2029, clearly he also knows that Modi’s position is unstable,” Venugopal wrote in a post on X.

The Congress leader also criticised Shah’s demeanour during the press conference and questioned his political prospects.

“His face was totally shaken. Mr. Shah, you should certainly be worried about surviving in office till 2029,” Venugopal added.

The exchange highlights the intensifying political confrontation between the BJP and the Congress over allegations of electoral irregularities, the SIR exercise and the credibility of the election process.

Rahul Gandhi Vows To Continue Protest Against CEC Gyanesh Kumar

Shah’s comments came shortly after Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc MPs held a joint press conference targeting CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the BJP. The opposition leaders vowed to continue their campaign for what they described as the restoration of the democratic process.

“No matter what happens, no matter which institution plays a role or not, political resistance will continue, people’s resistance will continue and it will triumph,” Gandhi said.

The Congress leader has been demanding Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities linked to the SIR exercise.

AISA chief Neha Bora also participated in the press conference. She alleged that the BJP could compromise on democracy and the Constitution because, according to her, the party had not played a role in establishing India’s democratic framework.

The BJP and the opposition remain locked in a political confrontation, with the Congress pressing its allegations against the Election Commission and Shah countering them by pointing to the opposition party’s electoral record.