The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday, 28 October 2026 launched a sharp attack on the Indian National Congress and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, asserting that Congress had failed to win any seat in the recently concluded Legislative Council (MLC) elections across four states — elections conducted using ballot papers, not electronic voting machines. The BJP argued the results demolish Congress's repeated claims that India's electoral process is rigged.

BJP's Core Charge: Zero Seats, Zero Credibility

BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi, addressing a press conference in New Delhi, said: 'Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party, who have created a storm of false claims about India's electoral process, have seen their aspirations for anarchy shattered by the results of the MLC elections...the Congress party has so far remained at zero. It is now almost clear that the Congress party has failed to make its presence felt in these elections.'

Trivedi added: 'These elections were conducted using ballot boxes and ballot papers, yet the Congress failed to establish its presence.' He contended this outcome demonstrates that Congress 'lacks the ability' to secure public support regardless of the voting method used — EVMs or traditional ballot papers.

BJP Takes Aim at Anti-SIR Rally and Rahul Gandhi's Travel

Trivedi also targeted Rahul Gandhi over an anti-Special Investigation Report (SIR) rally scheduled for 1 November, accusing the Congress leader of returning to political activity after what he characterised as an extended personal trip. 'The Congress party should understand that Rahul Gandhi, after spending nearly two weeks sightseeing and enjoying himself, has now returned to the limelight and is talking about launching a movement that could create problems for the Indian economy,' Trivedi said.

Drawing a contrast, Trivedi cited BJP chief Nitin Nabin's visit to Uttar Pradesh and Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Punjab as examples of consistent grassroots outreach. He alleged Rahul Gandhi had been 'wandering around Champa' — referencing the ancient Indian name for Vietnam — and said: 'Public support is earned through hard work, not through sightseeing and leisure trips.'

KPCC Apology to CJI Draws Fresh BJP Salvo

Trivedi separately lashed out at Congress after the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) issued an unconditional apology to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant over an allegedly offensive post on the party's state-unit X handle. 'The Keralam Congress had posted a highly objectionable, derogatory and offensive tweet regarding the Chief Justice of India. Now it has issued an unconditional apology over the tweet,' Trivedi said.

He drew parallels with an earlier incident in which the Telangana Congress had shared what he described as a 'misleading, edited video' of Home Minister Amit Shah from its official X handle during the Lok Sabha elections. Trivedi argued: 'It is now clear that the Congress, which resorts to falsehoods to attack India's constitutional institutions, is openly admitting its actions before the Supreme Court of India.'

BJP Revives Rahul Gandhi's 2019 Supreme Court Apology

Trivedi also revisited Rahul Gandhi's unconditional apology to the Supreme Court in 2019, made after Gandhi wrongly attributed the political slogan 'chowkidar chor hai' to the court's proceedings in the Rafale case. Referring to this, Trivedi called Gandhi a 'judicially certified Mafiveer' — a portmanteau combining 'maafi' (apology) and 'veer' (brave) — and demanded that Gandhi apologise for 'marching to the institution' and focus on 'working hard instead of creating chaos.'

The BJP's broadside comes as India's Opposition bloc faces pressure ahead of upcoming state electoral cycles, and as Congress attempts to galvanise momentum around electoral process reforms and the anti-SIR campaign.