Anurag Thakur slams Rahul Gandhi for blaming BJP over Congress failures
Synopsis
At a BJP outreach march in Hamirpur, former Union Minister Anurag Thakur accused Rahul Gandhi of blaming the BJP for the Congress's own failures — from EVM allegations to student union losses at Delhi and Panjab universities — and challenged the party to explain why electoral mandates are only contested when Congress loses.
Key Takeaways
Anurag Thakur attacked Rahul Gandhi at a BJP outreach march in Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh on 4 November 2026 .
Thakur accused Congress of raising EVM objections selectively — only after electoral defeats, not victories in states like Karnataka and Kerala .
He cited Congress setbacks in student elections at Panjab University and Delhi University as signs of organisational decline.
Thakur disputed Congress's claimed rally turnout of one million in Delhi, calling the actual attendance reportedly far lower.
The event was held under BJP's 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' campaign, also attended by state BJP chief Rajeev Bindal .
BJP MP and former Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, launched a sharp political attack on Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of deflecting the Congress party's organisational failures onto the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rather than engaging in introspection. Thakur made the remarks at a BJP public outreach march in Hamirpur town, Himachal Pradesh, held under the party's campaign titled 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' (Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy).
What Thakur Said
Thakur alleged that the Congress leadership, instead of accepting electoral mandates, was attempting to sow confusion and undermine public confidence in India's electoral machinery. He specifically targeted the party's repeated criticism of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), questioning why Congress raises EVM-related objections selectively — only after losses — while remaining silent when it wins in states like Karnataka and Kerala.
He went further, posing a pointed rhetorical challenge: if the Congress's EVM allegations were accepted as valid, would the Kerala Chief Minister also be expected to resign following an electoral defeat in that state? The remark was aimed at exposing what Thakur described as a double standard in the opposition's position.
Student Politics and Organisational Setbacks
Thakur also highlighted the Congress's recent setbacks in student union elections, citing defeats at Panjab University in Chandigarh and Delhi University in Delhi. He argued that these losses at the grassroots level were symptomatic of a broader organisational decline that the Congress leadership refuses to acknowledge.
He accused Gandhi of consistently attributing the party's political shortcomings to external factors — specifically the BJP — rather than examining internal weaknesses.
Rally Claims Disputed
Taking aim at a recent Congress-led rally in Delhi, Thakur said that while organisers claimed turnout of approximately one million people, the actual attendance was reportedly far lower. He framed the discrepancy as emblematic of a pattern of inflated claims he attributed to the Congress leadership.
Workers' Conference and March
The programme in Hamirpur began with a parliamentary constituency-level workers' conference attended by Himachal Pradesh BJP state President Rajeev Bindal and Thakur. Both leaders addressed party workers and called for strengthening the party's presence at the grassroots level. Workers from Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Una, Dehra, Dharampur, and surrounding areas participated in the outreach march.
Thakur urged BJP workers to carry the party's message to every household and counter what he characterised as a misleading political narrative being promoted by the opposition. He added that repeatedly questioning constitutional institutions without credible evidence risked eroding public trust in democratic processes.
Broader Political Context
The remarks come amid heightened political activity in Himachal Pradesh, where the BJP is seeking to consolidate ground ahead of future electoral contests in a state currently governed by the Congress. Thakur's reference to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and elections in Bihar and Kerala signals a wider BJP strategy to push back on opposition narratives around electoral credibility. This is not the first time Thakur has taken aim at Gandhi — the two have frequently traded barbs in Parliament and on the campaign trail.
Point of View
Designed to flip the democracy rhetoric back on the Congress. The EVM double-standard argument is tactically sharp: by invoking Kerala and Karnataka, the BJP forces the Congress into an uncomfortable choice between consistency and convenience. What the mainstream coverage tends to miss is that this debate is not really about EVMs — it is about which party gets to own the credibility-of-elections issue ahead of the next round of state contests. Thakur, a former minister with a national profile, is the right messenger for Himachal, where the BJP is in opposition and needs to energise a demoralised cadre.
NationPress
4 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Anurag Thakur say about Rahul Gandhi in Hamirpur?
Thakur accused Rahul Gandhi of blaming the BJP for the Congress party's own electoral and organisational failures, rather than undertaking introspection. He made the remarks at a BJP outreach march in Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, on 4 November 2026.
What is the BJP's 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' campaign?
It translates to 'Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy' and is a BJP public outreach initiative. The Hamirpur march was part of this campaign, aimed at taking the party's message to grassroots workers and countering what the BJP describes as the Congress's misleading political narrative.
Why did Thakur raise the EVM issue against Congress?
Thakur challenged Congress for questioning Electronic Voting Machines only after electoral defeats, while accepting results in states like Karnataka and Kerala where Congress won. He argued this reflected a double standard and an attempt to undermine public confidence in the electoral system.
Which student elections did Thakur reference?
Thakur referred to Congress's student wing losing elections at Panjab University in Chandigarh and Delhi University in Delhi. He used these results to argue that the party's organisational weaknesses extend to the grassroots level.
Who else attended the Hamirpur BJP event?
Himachal Pradesh BJP state President Rajeev Bindal and Hamirpur MP Anurag Singh Thakur both addressed the workers' conference. Party workers from Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Una, Dehra, Dharampur, and other areas participated in the outreach march.
