Amit Shah Targets Rahul Gandhi, Warns Congress of Another Crushing Defeat in 2029 Polls

New Delhi, Oct 13: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the Opposition’s protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, predicting another decisive defeat for the Congress in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

Shah asserted that the people of the country continued to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). He expressed confidence that the ruling alliance would return to power with a strong majority in the next general elections.

Addressing reporters in New Delhi, Shah urged Gandhi and other Opposition leaders to prepare for another electoral setback, claiming that the Congress was heading towards its fourth consecutive defeat in the general elections.

“I want to tell Shri Rahul ji and his associates to prepare themselves once again for a crushing defeat in 2029. In the 2029 general elections, the NDA is going to win with a resounding majority, and the Congress is going to face defeat for the fourth consecutive time,” Shah said.

He maintained that public support for Modi and the NDA remained strong and described it as a political reality that the Opposition needed to acknowledge.

The Home Minister also criticised the Congress’s approach towards political issues, arguing that negative campaigning would not help the party regain public confidence. He said the opposition leadership needed to understand people’s concerns and establish a stronger connection with voters.

Taking aim at Gandhi over allegations linked to electoral processes, Shah accused the Congress leader of attempting to secure voter registration for alleged illegal immigrants.

“People of India know his plans of getting infiltrators registered as voters,” Shah said.

He also questioned Gandhi’s criticism of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, asking whether the Congress leader’s allegations were connected to the exercise that began after the 2024 general elections.

Shah argued that the Congress’s repeated electoral defeats required serious introspection within the party. He said Gandhi should examine the reasons behind the party’s inability to secure a broader public mandate rather than relying on media events and allegations against political opponents.

“Ever since you became the principal leader of the Congress, and later its president, and now the Leader of the Opposition, the Congress party has continuously lost elections. You need to engage in introspections. You cannot win the trust of the country’s people through fabricated media events and echoes of lies,” he said.

The remarks came amid escalating political tensions between the BJP and the Congress over electoral issues and the Opposition’s criticism of the Chief Election Commissioner.

Shah’s comments underscored the BJP’s confidence ahead of the next general elections while intensifying its criticism of Gandhi’s political strategy. The Congress, meanwhile, has continued to raise concerns over electoral processes and the functioning of constitutional institutions.