New Delhi: In a sharp retaliation against Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s recent allegations concerning the Election Commission, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a scathing attack on Thursday, mocking his political intellect and accusing him of relying heavily on alliance partners to win elections.
The BJP’s press conference was convened shortly after Gandhi targeted the Centre and the polling body over the ongoing Systematic Voter Information Routine (SIR) controversy. Addressing the media, BJP Member of Parliament and National Spokesperson Dr. Sudhanshu Trivedi dismissed Gandhi’s claims, asserting that the Congress leader’s “political understanding is zero.”
“You just saw the ‘master of political deceit’, Rahul Gandhi, present a PPT that came from somewhere,” Trivedi remarked, taking a dig at the presentation Gandhi used during his briefing.
Trivedi pointed out Congress’s long-standing electoral failures in key states, questioning Gandhi’s grasp of Indian political history. “He [Gandhi] claims to have been observing Indian politics for 50 years, which essentially means he’s only understood things for the last 5-6 years. The Congress has not returned to power in Bengal since 1977, in Bihar since 1990, and even in Uttar Pradesh—the home state of the Gandhi family—since 1989. Yet, he brings up anti-incumbency,” Trivedi said.
The BJP spokesperson further alleged that the Congress party historically thrived in an era of electoral malpractices. “During the era when booth capturing and gunfire were prevalent, anti-incumbency didn’t seem to work against the Congress. It is only since CCTV cameras were installed and the system was fortified that the Congress has faced the brunt of it,” he argued.
Mocking the Gandhi family’s electoral standing, Trivedi claimed that the “real anti-incumbency lies within the Gandhi family itself.” He asserted that the top Congress leadership is now incapable of winning even their traditional strongholds without external support.
“He cannot even win his family’s seats without the help of allies. Amethi and Raebareli cannot be won without the support of the Samajwadi Party,” Trivedi declared. He also claimed that the victories of both Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi in Wayanad were largely dependent on the support of the Muslim demographic in the region.
Trivedi concluded by questioning the credibility of the media reports Gandhi cited regarding the Election Commission, noting that the claims lacked formal quotes or concrete foundations.