On Friday, ahead of the Jharkhand state elections, Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while addressing a public gathering in the Simdega district of Jharkhand. He criticised the BJP’s economic policies, stating that while he believes the country should be governed by a majority of its people, the BJP aims to hand over the nation’s resources to a few billionaires.
Gandhi accused the BJP leaders of prioritising the interests of a small group of wealthy individuals over the needs of the general public. “I want that if this country is run, then 90 percent people should run this country, and BJP wants that the country should be run by two to three people – PM Narendra Modi, HM Amit Shah, Ambani, and Adani – and the entire country’s wealth, whether it is your land, forest – everything would be snatched from you and given away to these 10-15 big billionaires,” he declared.
Gandhi went on to criticise PM Modi for allegedly waiving off the loans of the elite while ignoring the needs of farmers. “PM Narendra Modi has waived off the loans of Rs 16 lakh crores of 25 people. You will not find a single tribal, a Dalit, or a backward-class person among them,” he said during the gathering.
He continued, “When we say that the farmers’ loans should be waived off, then they say, look, Rahul Gandhi is spoiling the habits of farmers. When you waived off their loans, did you not spoil their habits? When you (PM Modi) waived off the loans worth Rs 16 lakh crore then did you not spoil them? They took such a big loan and that was forgiven, but a small farmer who takes Rs 50 thousand loan, then it is said they are spoiling farmers. We want justice. If the nation is to be run, then it will not be run by 2-3 people but by the 90 percent of people.”
Addressing the ongoing violence in Manipur, Gandhi criticised the Prime Minister’s handling of the situation, stating that Modi has yet to visit the troubled state. “Let me tell you about Manipur, wherever the BJP people go, they make brothers fight between each other, from one religion to another, from one jaati to another, from one language to another, they incite and spread hatred. They (BJP) burnt Manipur, and to date, the Prime Minister of India hasn’t visited there,” he asserted.
Describing the situation in Manipur as a result of the BJP’s ideology, he added, “It means that they have accepted the fact that there is no state like Manipur. Manipur was burnt because of the ideology of the BJP. That is why I said, I went from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, traveled 400 km, and I said while on the way, ‘nafrat ke bazaar mein mohabaat ki dukaan kholegne’ (open a shop of love in the marketplace of hate).”
In the lead-up to the Jharkhand state elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also given a fiery speech on November 7 in Jharkhand criticising the Congress party and its allies, accusing them of fostering division and hindering development. Addressing a rally in Ranchi, Shah stated, “The Congress and its allies have always indulged in appeasement politics, dividing communities for their vote bank.”
Shah also highlighted the BJP’s commitment to national security and development, contrasting it with the Congress’s alleged inaction. He remarked, “Under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, we have abrogated Article 370, ensuring Jammu and Kashmir’s full integration with India—a move the Congress opposed.”
Furthermore, Shah accused the Congress of neglecting tribal communities, stating, “The Congress has always ignored the welfare of our tribal brothers and sisters. It is the BJP that has worked tirelessly for their upliftment.”
Other BJP leaders have echoed Shah’s sentiments. BJP President J.P. Nadda, during a campaign event, asserted, “The Congress has a history of corruption and misgovernance. They cannot be trusted with the future of Jharkhand.”
As the Jharkhand Assembly elections approach, the BJP continues to position itself as a party of development and national unity, while portraying the Congress as divisive and ineffective.
The Jharkhand Assembly elections are set to take place in two phases on November 13 and 20, with vote counting scheduled for November 23. A total of 2.6 crore voters are eligible to participate in these elections, including 1.31 crore male and 1.29 crore female voters, as well as 11.84 lakh first-time voters and 66.84 lakh young voters.