Pune, February 17 – The BJP launched a sharp attack on the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and the Congress on Tuesday, stating that the party is facing growing dissent not only from within but also among its allies.
The BJP’s remarks came amid renewed political churn within the Congress after veteran leader Mani Shankar Aiyar publicly distanced himself from Rahul Gandhi, stating, “I am not a Rahulian.”
Aiyar also made comments predicting a third consecutive term for Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and criticised leaders within his own party, triggering a fresh round of debate over the Congress leadership and internal unity.
Reacting to the developments, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said:
“Yesterday, Mani Shankar Aiyar moved a no-confidence motion against Rahul Gandhi. Even in Assam, several senior Congress leaders are reportedly considering leaving the party. The Trinamool Congress has also reportedly suggested removing Rahul Gandhi and bringing in Mamata Banerjee to save the INDIA Bloc,” Poonawalla said.
He further claimed that dissatisfaction with Rahul Gandhi is not limited to the Trinamool Congress.
“It’s not just the Trinamool Congress. Many Congress allies, including the Aam Aadmi Party, DMK, Samajwadi Party and JMM, are reportedly expressing similar concerns. Navjot Kaur Sidhu, whose husband Navjot Singh Sidhu is still in the Congress, has also said that Rahul Gandhi does not listen to anyone,” he added.
Poonawalla alleged that Rahul Gandhi has lost the confidence of both party colleagues and alliance partners.
“No one believes in Rahul Gandhi. Their own leaders are expressing low confidence against him. Rahul Gandhi does not have a mandate. Now even veterans of the Congress party are expressing a no-confidence motion against him,” he said.
The BJP spokesperson also targeted the Congress over what he called its “double standards” on nationalism.
“The Congress party should be renamed from the Indian National Congress to the Anti-National Congress. This is the same party that has an issue with Vande Mataram, calling it communal and provocative, while slogans like 'Babri Zindabad' are considered secular by them,” he alleged.
He also criticised the Congress in Karnataka over claims of separate reservations and contracts for Muslims, saying the party labels such decisions as secular while questioning national symbols.
Poonawalla further contrasted the BJP-led NDA with the DMK-Congress alliance in Tamil Nadu, calling the former a “strong alliance” and the latter a “weak alliance.”
“On one hand, there is the NDA, which is constantly growing because it has a clear mission and vision for Tamil Nadu. On the other hand, the DMK-Congress alliance has no mission or vision. It is driven only by confusion, ambition for power and internal divisions,” he said.
He also pointed to ongoing tensions within the Congress, claiming that leaders such as Manickam Tagore were demanding power-sharing and more seats, while DMK chief M.K. Stalin had reportedly ruled out any such arrangement this time.
