BJP Mocks INDIA Bloc With ‘Save Dynasty’ March, Says Opposition Alliance Crumbling

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Wednesday stepped up its attack on the opposition INDIA bloc, citing the absence of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav from its latest meeting and the DMK’s earlier departure from the alliance as signs of growing differences among its constituents.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan described the opposition’s planned “Save Democracy March” as a “Save Dynasty March” while addressing a press conference after INDIA bloc parties announced a series of programmes over their allegations of collusion between the Election Commission and the government.

Chouhan pointed to Yadav’s absence despite Uttar Pradesh being a major electoral state and said the participation of other opposition leaders also reflected the alliance’s changing composition. He noted that DMK president M K Stalin and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal were no longer part of the grouping, while Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray attended the meeting virtually.

“The truth is INDI alliance is not ready to accept Rahul as its leader,” Chouhan said, targeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s position within the opposition grouping.

The BJP leader also criticised the Congress over its efforts to project Gandhi as a central opposition figure. He claimed the Congress had repeatedly attempted to establish his political leadership but had failed to achieve the desired result.

Chouhan further referred to a reported remark by Gandhi at a Congress meeting on Tuesday, where he was said to have sought support for his stand against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The BJP minister used the episode to question the level of confidence within the Congress in Gandhi’s political approach.

He also dismissed the INDIA bloc’s latest meeting as lacking a concrete outcome or broader vision, alleging that the opposition was attempting to build a political narrative around electoral setbacks and prepare the ground for future contests.

The political exchanges come ahead of assembly elections scheduled next year in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur. These states are expected to be important for opposition parties seeking to strengthen their electoral position against the BJP.

Chouhan also referred to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s participation in the INDIA bloc meeting. He recalled a video released by Gandhi during the West Bengal Assembly elections in which he had said the BJP was making gains in the state because of mistakes made by Banerjee, while not attributing the trend to SIR.

The Union minister alleged that opposition leaders tend to raise questions over constitutional institutions and courts as elections draw closer. He said Congress leaders Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge had similarly raised such issues during previous electoral periods.

Defending the Special Intensive Revision exercise, Chouhan said maintaining an accurate electoral roll was essential for the democratic process. He argued that the removal of entries belonging to deceased individuals, non-citizens and duplicate registrations should not be opposed in the name of protecting democracy.

The BJP’s remarks came as opposition parties sought to intensify their campaign on electoral-roll revision and their allegations concerning the Election Commission. The competing positions are likely to remain a significant political issue as the parties prepare for next year’s assembly elections.