BJP's Tarun Chugh slams UPA decade as era of corruption and misgovernance
Synopsis
At a BJP workshop in Gandhinagar, party in-charge Tarun Chugh framed the entire UPA decade as a period of national helplessness — and used the occasion to launch the 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan,' a month-long campaign marking PM Modi's 25 uninterrupted years in power. The political messaging is pointed: Gujarat gave India its leader, and the country has not looked back since.
Key Takeaways
Tarun Chugh , Gujarat BJP in-charge, addressed a state-level workshop in Gandhinagar on 2 September .
He described the UPA era (2004–2014) as a period of corruption, misgovernance, and terrorism, calling it a time of national 'helplessness.' The workshop was held ahead of the 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' , running from 17 September to 17 October , marking PM Modi's 25 uninterrupted years as a head of government.
Chugh claimed India had risen from the world's 11th-largest economy to the 4th-largest under Modi's leadership, with a growth rate of 7.8 per cent .
The event was attended by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel , Deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi , and senior BJP functionaries.
Gujarat Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in-charge Tarun Chugh on Wednesday, 2 September launched a sharp attack on the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, asserting that the period between 2004 and 2014 had left India mired in corruption, misgovernance, and terrorism. Speaking at a BJP state-level workshop in Gandhinagar, Chugh credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership since 2014 with steering the country toward what he described as 'development and good governance.'
The Workshop and Its Context
The Gandhinagar workshop was organised ahead of the BJP's month-long 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan', scheduled to run from 17 September to 17 October. The campaign marks PM Modi completing 25 uninterrupted years as a head of government — first as Gujarat Chief Minister from 2001 and subsequently as Prime Minister since 2014. The event was chaired by state BJP president Jagdish Vishwakarma and attended by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, BJP national Seva Sankalp Abhiyan zone in-charge Ashish Shelar, and state organisation general secretary Ratnakar, among others.
Chugh's Critique of the UPA Era
Referring to the 2004–2014 period, Chugh said India had been 'in a state of helplessness' in the face of corruption, misgovernance, and terrorism, with an atmosphere of 'disappointment and frustration' prevailing across the country. He argued that it was Gujarat that provided the nation a way forward. 'When there was a perception that nothing could be done for the country, Gujarat gave India a strong, decisive and farsighted leader in PM Modi in 2014. The country elected a full-majority government after three decades, with the results now visible in India's economic and developmental progress,' Chugh said.
Claims on India's Economic Rise
Chugh claimed India had made 'unprecedented progress' across sectors over the past 12 years, moving from being the world's 11th-largest economy to the fourth-largest. He described India as the world's fastest-growing major economy, adding that its growth rate had held at 7.8 per cent despite global conflicts affecting several economies. He also said India was now giving a 'befitting response' to terrorist attacks and carrying out operations against terrorists across the border, calling this 'the new India.'
Gujarat Model and Modi's 25-Year Record
Chugh credited PM Modi's tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister from 2001 with addressing longstanding problems in electricity, water, and roads, transforming the state into a 'leader across sectors and a symbol of peace, security and development.' He said the 'Gujarat Model' had generated confidence nationwide and contributed to Modi receiving what he called a historic mandate to lead the country. Chugh also highlighted the Modi administration's welfare initiatives targeting poor people, farmers, youth, and women, and said the government had continued its development agenda despite the Covid-19 pandemic and global conflicts. He guided party workers on organising public participation programmes during the month-long campaign marking PM Modi's 25 years of service and dedication.
Political Framing Ahead of Campaign Launch
The workshop serves as a mobilisation platform for the BJP ahead of the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, which is expected to involve grassroots outreach across Gujarat. This comes amid the BJP's broader national effort to consolidate its political narrative around Modi's governance record before the next electoral cycle. Notably, the Congress has not yet formally responded to Chugh's remarks. The party has consistently contested BJP claims about the UPA era's economic and security record, arguing that foundational reforms of that period laid the groundwork for subsequent growth.
Point of View
And the 2004–2014 Congress era serves that purpose neatly. The claim that India has moved from 11th to 4th in global GDP rankings requires careful scrutiny: the ranking shift reflects both genuine growth and the relative decline of other economies, not solely domestic policy. More tellingly, the BJP's decision to anchor a 25-year milestone campaign in Gujarat underlines how central the 'Gujarat Model' narrative remains to the party's identity — even a decade after Modi left the state for New Delhi. Whether that narrative still resonates with voters facing inflation and unemployment pressures is the question the Abhiyan will quietly road-test.
NationPress
3 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Tarun Chugh say about the UPA government at the Gandhinagar workshop?
Tarun Chugh said the Congress-led UPA government left India 'in a state of helplessness' between 2004 and 2014, marked by corruption, misgovernance, and terrorism. He contrasted that period with what he described as India's developmental progress under PM Modi since 2014.
What is the BJP's 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan'?
The 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' is a month-long BJP campaign running from 17 September to 17 October, marking PM Modi's 25 uninterrupted years as a head of government — first as Gujarat Chief Minister from 2001 and then as Prime Minister from 2014. It involves grassroots public participation programmes across Gujarat.
What economic claims did Chugh make about India under PM Modi?
Chugh claimed India had moved from being the world's 11th-largest economy to the 4th-largest over the past 12 years, with a GDP growth rate of 7.8 per cent sustained despite global conflicts. He described India as the world's fastest-growing major economy.
Who attended the BJP state-level workshop in Gandhinagar?
The workshop was chaired by Gujarat BJP president Jagdish Vishwakarma and attended by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, BJP national Seva Sankalp Abhiyan zone in-charge Ashish Shelar, and state organisation general secretary Ratnakar, among others.
What role does Gujarat play in the BJP's political narrative around PM Modi?
The BJP credits Gujarat under Modi's chief ministership from 2001 with pioneering the 'Gujarat Model' of governance — focused on electricity, water, and road infrastructure — which the party argues gave the country confidence and led to Modi's national mandate in 2014. The Gandhinagar workshop reaffirmed that narrative ahead of the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan.
