Shah’s claim on power stems from vote theft: Rahul Gandhi

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi alleged on Tuesday that BJP leader Amit Shah’s repeated claim that the BJP would remain in power for the next 40-50 years was not a prediction, but a confidence stemming from vote theft.

Addressing the Social Dialogue Programme during the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Madhubani, Bihar, the Congress leader said every time Shah made such a claim, he wondered “how does Amit Shah know that the BJP would stay in power for 40–50 years”.

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“Now, the truth is out before the nation. The reason he could say that was because they’ve been stealing votes. And this theft didn’t begin recently. It started in Gujarat, reached the national level in 2014, and since then, they’ve manipulated election outcomes state by state,” he added.

Reaffirming the Congress party’s commitment to social justice, Gandhi said that rights must be granted in proportion to population. He pointed out that about 90 per cent of the country’s population comprises backward castes (including EBCs and OBCs), Dalits (including Mahadalits), minorities, and tribals — yet they are largely excluded.

“You’re just watching from the sidelines,” he said, adding, “Going forward, this 90% must be given due participation in politics and in India’s institutions. We need to reimagine development — and the foundation of that change is a caste census. That will bring clarity to who is where, and what is needed.”

Echoing his stance, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said that the people must unite to protect their voting rights and use their vote to “remove the corrupt NDA government from Bihar and ensure rights proportional to population”.

On Tuesday, Congress General Secretary and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi, along with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, joined the Voter Adhikar Yatra, which is increasingly being seen as a show of strength and unity by the national Opposition.

Several other prominent leaders, including Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, are expected to join the Yatra before it culminates in a mega rally in Patna on 1 September.