BJP, JD(U) accuse Congress of living in denial over poll defeats, creating disorder to seize power

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally, the Janata Dal-United (JD-U), on Tuesday (October 13, 2026) accused the Congress of undermining constitutional institutions and creating disorder in an attempt to regain power. The BJP and JD(U) alleged that the principal Opposition questioned the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) credibility after electoral defeats but accepted the process whenever it won.

In a joint press conference at the BJP headquarters, Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh of the JD(U) shared the platform with senior BJP leader and Union Minister Piyush Goyal. Both the Ministers condemned the alleged mistreatment of a pregnant journalist covering the Congress-led protest on Monday (October 11, 2026).

On the protests, Mr. Goyal said that if the Congress genuinely doubted the impartiality of the ECI and the integrity of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, the six Chief Ministers of States where the party was in power or part of the ruling coalition should resign immediately. He referred to Karnataka, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, and Keralam, besides Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu.

Accusing the Congress of double standards, Mr. Goyal said the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and his party had a “delulu is the solulu” (“delusion is the solution”) mindset, suggesting that they were living in denial over electoral setbacks.

Mr. Goyal asked Mr. Gandhi why he had repeatedly been alleging “vote theft” without submitting an affidavit or evidence; and why the Congress opposed the SIR when some of its own leaders had demanded electoral roll purification and even acknowledged its benefits.

The Congress and Mr. Gandhi were questioning the impartiality of the ECI, Mr. Goyal said, but had forgotten their own track record of allegedly rewarding former election officials with political appointments. The Modi government, in contrast, had introduced a law in 2023 providing for a selection committee, which includes the the Leader of the Opposition, to decide on the appointment of Election Commissioners, Mr. Goyal said.

“I don’t think Rahul Gandhi, the Congress party, or the Aam Aadmi Party, by sending its B-team (an apparent reference to the Cockroach Janta Party), can undermine Indian democracy through such attempts,” Mr. Goyal said, claiming that the protests had drawn a limited number of participants.

Alleging that Mr. Gandhi wanted “institutions that remain loyal to him”, the JD(U) Minister cited two instances of former judges during the Congress regime. He alleged that the Congress was now trying to discredit institutions, including the ECI and the judiciary, and pressure them through protests.

The Congress also questioned Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) after losing elections, but accepted the results whenever it won, Mr. Singh said. Recalling Mr. Gandhi’s allegations against Mr. Modi over the Rafale deal, he said the Congress leader had later tendered a written apology to the Supreme Court.

Accusing Mr. Gandhi of “creating disorder to seize power”, Mr. Singh said, “I think Rahul Gandhi is following in the footsteps of his grandmother. He wants to take the Congress party back to the 1974-75 period, when the Emergency was imposed in the country and everyone’s fundamental rights were taken away, including those of journalists, judges and the High Courts.”

The Congress’s policies and conduct were responsible for its shrinking electoral base, the JD(U) leader said, contrasting them with those of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also criticised the Congress for what he described as an “unprecedented” protest outside the Supreme Court “to exert pressure”.