The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on February 16 stepped up its attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, branding him a “failed dynast” and claiming he no longer enjoys the confidence of either party colleagues or alliance partners.
The fresh criticism followed the resignation of former Assam Congress president Bhupen Borah, who submitted his resignation to party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, alleging that he was being sidelined and not given adequate importance in the state unit.
Reacting to the development, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took to X and wrote, “No confidence in Rahul Gandhi.” In a series of remarks, he referred to comments from leaders across parties, including the Trinamool Congress and senior Congress figure Mani Shankar Aiyar, to argue that Gandhi lacked support within his own ranks.
“TMC says Rahul ‘hatao’, Mamata ‘lao’, INDI alliance ‘bachao’. Former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Bora quits. Mani Shankar Aiyar says Congress will lose Kerala and Vijayan will win. Do you need more proof?” Poonawalla wrote, adding that Gandhi had neither “janmat” (public mandate) nor “sangat” (support system). He described the Congress leader as a “failed entitled dynast”.
The row also comes days after senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar expressed confidence that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan would retain power — a remark that triggered unease within the Congress.
The party quickly distanced itself from Aiyar’s statement, saying he has not been associated with organisational activities for several years and was speaking in his personal capacity. Aiyar, however, maintained that his comments had been “blown out of proportion” and asserted that only Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge could remove him from the party.
Adding to the BJP’s criticism, party spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said on X that Gandhi was facing “complete rejection” from within the Congress. He claimed that even long-time loyalists were openly questioning his leadership.
The exchange has intensified the political war of words between the BJP and the Congress, with both sides trading sharp remarks ahead of key political battles.