Opposition leaders on Monday claimed that the BJP-led government's political dominance is declining, with former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may not be able to continue in the post after 2026.
At the launch of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut's book 'Unlikely Paradise,' Kejriwal said his "heart and political understanding" suggest that Modi may not continue as prime minister through 2026, and asserted that both Modi's and Shah's "reign will end."
The Aam Aadmi Party national convener also accused the ruling establishment of losing control over public discourse on social media. He claimed that while earlier the government machinery could suppress criticism online, now negative comments and memes targeting the prime minister are widespread.
"At one time, people were jailed even for memes against Modi. Today, social media is full of criticism, reflecting a decline in his popularity," Kejriwal said.
Alleging electoral malpractice, Kejriwal claimed that elections are being "won through corruption" and cited his own experience as an example.
He alleged that before his imprisonment, he secured around 1.48 lakh votes, but after his release, nearly 42,000 votes were "deleted," resulting in a narrow defeat margin of about 3,000 votes.
Kejriwal claimed that he had earlier won the same seat by a margin of 30,000 votes, and accused the ruling party of "cheating to win elections."
Agencies like the Enforcement Directorate and the Election Commission also came under attack.
"Modi's popularity is declining, but he is still winning elections. Who is responsible for it? It's the EC," Kejriwal said.
Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha Leader Derek O'Brien said that in West Bengal, his party "did not allow the EC to do the jugglery."
"On May 4, the people of Bengal will not defeat, but humiliate Modi and Shah... The next big one will be in February 2027 in Uttar Pradesh... These two are going to happen," O'Brien said.
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, meanwhile, said the ED and the EC are "two faces of the same coin."
"If EC prepares machine-readable voter lists and holds elections on ballots, Modi and Shah can never win," he said.
AAP leader Sanjay Singh, who was also arrested in the liquor policy case, pointed out that not a single rupee was found at the residence of Kejriwal or any AAP leader.
"This is the biggest slap on the face of the government," he said.
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal wondered what the Enforcement Directorate is "enforcing."
"They are actually violating the law because they have no concern with human rights," he said.
Raut, whose book is based on his jail experiences, said he learnt how powerful the human spirit is while incarcerated.
"We will wait, and those who are responsible for this will also be sent there (jail) someday," he said.
O'Brien said he meets 15-20 people in Parliament every day, who were "supposed to be in jail, but joined the BJP and did not go to jail."