Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Shah defended the BJP's electoral performance in several states and questioned the Congress's claims about the SIR process. He argued that the party had suffered repeated election defeats for decades, long before the revision exercise began in 2024. “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 at a press conference. His remarks followed the BJP's victory in Gujarat's civic body elections. The party won 38 of the 44 seats in the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC). It also secured majorities in the Thara and Okha municipalities.

Amit Shah Asks Rahul Gandhi to Introspect

Shah highlighted the Congress's electoral setbacks across several states and urged Gandhi to examine the reasons behind the party's poor performance. The home minister said the Congress had failed to win elections in West Bengal, Tripura and Gujarat for several decades. He questioned whether the SIR process could explain defeats that occurred long before its introduction. “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. He also accused the Congress of repeatedly losing elections since Gandhi emerged as its principal leader and later became the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Shah further pointed to the BJP's performance in by-elections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to support his argument about 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,” Shah said. The home minister used these results to reinforce his criticism of the Congress's electoral record and challenge Gandhi's allegations against the election authorities.

Rahul Gandhi Vows to Continue Protests Against CEC

Shah's comments came shortly after Rahul Gandhi and other INDIA bloc MPs held a joint press conference to criticise 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" in India. Gandhi has demanded Kumar's resignation over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise. "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 maintained that the opposition would continue its political campaign despite the response from institutions and the ruling party.