Rahul Gandhi’s leadership now being questioned within Congress and among allies: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday (December 23, 2025) claimed that questions over Rahul Gandhi’s leadership were no longer confined to the electorate but were also being raised from within his own party and among its allies. This is why the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha has gone abroad to make “anti-national” remarks, alleged BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla

At a press conference, Mr. Poonawalla targeted Mr. Gandhi over his “vote theft” charges made in the run-up to last month’s Bihar Assembly election. “[Congress leader] Shashi Tharoor ji has already gone on record saying that in the past 20 years, the NDA government has done very good work in Bihar. Meaning, he has completely defused Rahul Gandhi’s ‘vote-theft’ narrative,” he said.

Mr. Poonawalla alleged that Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP John Brittas recently remarked that Mr. Gandhi should not have left Parliament and gone abroad. “He made an even bigger disclosure: not only the Left party, but even the DMK was against Rahul Gandhi’s ‘India-bashing’ journey, and he said that Rahul Gandhi does not take his work seriously,” the BJP leader claimed.

‘No mandate or backing’

He added that Congress MP Imran Masood had backed Mr. Gandhi’s sister and fellow MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as a potential Prime Minister. “And this was endorsed even by [her husband] Robert Vadra,” Mr. Poonawalla said.

“This means public opinion has already moved away from Rahul Gandhi. From the Left to [Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister] Omar Abdullah, who rejected Rahul Gandhi’s statements, [NCP (SP) leader] Supriya Sule, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, all reject everything he says... He now has neither public mandate, nor organisational backing,” Mr. Poonawalla said.

The BJP leader claimed that, a few days ago, Odisha Congress leader Mohammed Moquim had raised questions about the leadership of Mr. Gandhi and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge. “Immediately, a ‘fatwa’ was issued by the Rahul Gandhi faction of the Congress party to expel Mohammed Moquim,” said the BJP leader, adding that “even his own allies, family members, and party members are passing one no-confidence motion after another against Rahul Gandhi”.

‘Anti-India rhetoric’

“And that is why, when Rahul Gandhi lost the public, the organisation, and now perhaps has no support even in the party structure, he once again went abroad to vent his anger against the BJP, and started speaking against the country instead. Once again, he has started anti-India rhetoric, in opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the people, and their mandate,” said Mr. Poonawalla.

Alleging that the ‘Indian National Congress’ had become the ‘Anti-National Congress’, the BJP leader countered Mr. Gandhi’s statement made in Berlin regarding concerns about electronic voting machines, India’s electoral process, the Maharashtra and Haryana polls, and the country’s manufacturing capability. “Why does Rahul Gandhi love China so much? Is it donations, MOUs, or propaganda?” he asked.

In another statement to the media on Mr. Gandhi’s remarks in Germany, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari accused him of having an “anti-national” mindset, claiming that speaking against the country had become Mr. Gandhi’s policy, intent, and habit.