BJP national president Nitin Nabin on Wednesday accused opposition parties of making excuses for their electoral defeats and took aim at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, saying "today's youth have rejected such princes."
Addressing an NDA rally in Gorakhpur as part of the BJP's 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' campaign, Nabin referred to Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav as the two "princes" of Uttar Pradesh and said people in the state and across the country remembered their record of misdeeds.
Calling Gandhi a "part-time politician", Nabin said the Congress leader remained politically active only during elections, unlike BJP workers who continued their public service throughout the year.
Referring to the opposition's November 1 rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, he claimed that it failed to attract even 10 per cent of the crowd projected by its organisers. In contrast, he said, the BJP and its NDA allies were organising large marches across districts and towns, reflecting the alliance's strength and public support.
Targeting Gandhi further, Nabin said he could continue to spread lies, but India had changed under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He claimed that 140 crore people considered Modi their prime minister and a "chowkidar" protecting their homes, families and the country.
On the opposition's allegations concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Nabin said parties that had lost elections were blaming the exercise instead of examining their organisational weaknesses.
He questioned why these parties had suffered electoral defeats even before 2025, when the current SIR exercise had not been conducted. Had they remained connected with people and their party workers, they would not have reached their present position, he said.
Nabin also referred to the Election Commission's challenge to Gandhi to demonstrate alleged EVM manipulation at a venue of his choice, claiming that the Congress leader had failed to accept it and had left the field.
Referring to the Bihar elections, he claimed that Gandhi had already left the political field after the publication of the electoral rolls.
He also targeted RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, calling him the "prince of Bihar" and saying young voters were rejecting such leaders. "Yuva aise Yuvraajon ko nakaar raha hai," he said.
Questioning the opposition's claim that around 13 crore names had been removed from electoral rolls, Nabin cited figures which he said accounted for the deletions. He claimed that 2.5 crore entries related to deceased voters and around six crore to people who had shifted from their registered addresses. He further referred to more than three crore people whose addresses, he alleged, could not be verified despite attempts to contact them.
Nabin also alleged that around three crore "infiltrators" figured in the voter list and accused opposition parties of seeking to protect them for electoral gains. He said BJP and NDA workers would oppose the inclusion of such people in electoral rolls, accusing the opposition of seeking votes from deceased persons, people who had shifted and alleged infiltrators.
Invoking Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's analogy of a student repeatedly making excuses for failing examinations, Nabin said the opposition was refusing to accept responsibility for its electoral performance.
He said that in the opposition's case, "not only the rocket but even its launching pad was faulty, producing leaders who repeatedly failed to make an electoral impact".
Nabin also accused opposition leaders of questioning the Election Commission and alleging EVM manipulation instead of accepting electoral verdicts.
Attacking the Congress over its record on poverty alleviation, he alleged that the party had failed to fulfil its promise of eradicating poverty and had instead kept poor people away from development. He contrasted this with the work undertaken under Modi and Adityanath, claiming that both the country and Uttar Pradesh were progressing under their leadership.
Nabin said he had campaigned in Uttar Pradesh during the 2012, 2017 and 2022 elections and had witnessed voters repeatedly rejecting opposition parties. He accused them of failing to learn from their defeats and resorting to what he described as crocodile tears and excuses.
(With inputs from PTI)
