Shah Predicts NDA Dominance in 2029
Union Home Minister Amit Shah predicted a sweeping victory for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and a significant defeat for the Indian National Congress in the 2029 general elections. The prediction followed recent electoral wins by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Tripura.
Shah addressed Rahul Gandhi directly, stating that voters in India would no longer accept his "deception." He described the recent election results as Congress's fourth consecutive defeat and urged the opposition leader to prepare for a loss. Shah asserted that states including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu had rejected the Congress party for decades.
Shah characterized the current political approach of the opposition as "negative politics." He claimed that the BJP secured a massive victory in Gujarat, winning 90 out of 104 seats across two municipal bodies and one municipal corporation. Specifically, the party won 38 of the 44 seats in the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation.
The Home Minister also noted the performance of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Gujarat, stating that the party contested 32 seats but lost its security deposit in all of them. Shah further claimed that Congress had not won a single election in Gujarat in the past 41 years.
Electoral Records and SIR Controversy
Shah challenged Rahul Gandhi regarding the opposition's criticism of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He asked if the recent BJP victories were a result of the SIR process and called it a time for introspection for the opposition.
Shah alleged that Congress was attempting to protect "infiltrators" under the pretext of the SIR. He cited the party's failure to win any seats in by-elections in West Bengal, Puducherry, and Tamil Nadu as evidence of its declining electoral standing.
Regarding Tripura, Shah reported that the NDA secured more than 4,000 seats out of 4,600 available, along with 900 seats in Gram Samiti elections. The alliance achieved a combined vote share of 77.5% in these elections, which were conducted using ballot papers. Shah questioned Congress's record in the state, noting that the party has not had a Chief Minister in Tripura for 33 years and pointing to repeated defeats in Bengal.
Voter Support Across States
Shah thanked voters in Tripura, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bengal, and Assam for backing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP, and the NDA despite what he described as malicious propaganda. He emphasized that these results demonstrated a clear rejection of the opposition's narrative.
The Home Minister reiterated his prediction that Congress would face a crushing defeat in 2029, urging the party to move away from negative politics and introspect on its long-term electoral failures across multiple states.