AHMEDABAD, Oct 2026 : Union Health Minister and senior BJP leader J P Nadda on Tuesday asserted that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would return to power in 2029 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, accusing the Congress and the INDIA bloc of undermining democratic institutions and questioning the credibility of electoral processes.
Addressing a BJP foot march in Ahmedabad's Vadaj area as part of the party's “Save Democracy and Remove Anarchy” campaign, Nadda rejected comparisons with political developments in countries such as Bangladesh and Albania. He said India's democratic traditions, constitutional framework and large electorate made the country distinct from other nations.
“Remember Rahul Baba, in 2029 as well, the government will be formed under Modi ji's leadership,” Nadda said, targeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. He maintained that electoral victories were secured through public support rather than street protests, rallies or demands for a change of government.
The BJP campaign, which also saw the participation of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, was organised to counter what the party described as misleading allegations by the Congress against constitutional institutions and the Election Commission of India.
Nadda accuses Congress of selectively questioning Election Commission
Nadda accused the Congress and the INDIA bloc of adopting a selective approach towards the Election Commission, alleging that the Opposition questioned the poll body's credibility whenever it lost elections but invoked public support when it won.
He said India's democratic system ensured that the voices of citizens were heard and their electoral choices respected.
“You are giving the example of Nepal; you are giving the example of Albania. This is India, a country of 140 crore people and the world's largest democracy. Neither Bangladesh nor Albania happens here,” Nadda said.
To underline his argument about the country's electoral machinery, the Union minister cited the example of a polling station established deep inside Gujarat's Gir forest during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections for a single voter.
According to Nadda, around 10 Election Commission officials travelled approximately 10 km to enable a temple priest living in the forest to exercise his franchise.
“This is India's democracy. The Election Commission has a strong legacy and India's constitutional institutions have earned global recognition,” he said, defending the functioning of the poll body.
Nadda also questioned the Congress's allegations of irregularities in electoral rolls, referring to Rahul Gandhi's claims concerning approximately one lakh allegedly invalid votes in Karnataka's Mahadevapura constituency. He alleged that Gandhi had not submitted a formal complaint to the Election Commission despite being asked to provide his allegations on oath.
Nadda defends Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls
A major focus of Nadda's address was the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which the BJP leader defended as a necessary exercise to identify duplicate entries, deceased voters and people no longer residing at their registered addresses.
Rejecting the Opposition's allegations that 13 crore voters had been deleted, Nadda said the figure included several categories of entries requiring verification.
He cited approximately three crore voters who were reportedly absent from their registered addresses, 6.3 crore who had shifted residences, one crore duplicate entries and 2.8 crore deceased voters.
According to Nadda, the revision process involved visits to households by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), while Booth Level Agents representing political parties, including the Opposition, were involved in overseeing the exercise.
He insisted that the SIR exercise would be completed and argued that the process was essential to maintain the accuracy of electoral rolls.
“The SIR exercise will certainly be completed at any cost. India will not be run by infiltrators; it will be run by the youth of India and the voters of India,” Nadda said.
He alleged that the Congress-led INDIA bloc wanted to form governments with the support of illegal immigrants and argued that electoral decisions should be determined exclusively by eligible Indian voters.
“This 'INDI Alliance' wants to run the country with the support of infiltrators. That is their true intention,” he said.
Referring to Rahul Gandhi, Nadda used the expression “nadan, hathi balak”, which he explained as naive and stubborn, while asserting that the BJP would not allow illegal immigrants to be registered as voters or influence the formation of governments.
The Opposition has raised concerns over electoral roll revisions and alleged irregularities in the electoral process. Nadda, however, maintained that the exercise was necessary to ensure that voter lists remained accurate and that only eligible citizens participated in elections.
Emergency cited in attack on Congress
Nadda also invoked the Emergency imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975 to question the Congress's commitment to democratic principles.
He alleged that the party had a history of undermining democratic institutions and recalled the period during which civil liberties were curtailed and political opponents were detained.
According to Nadda, around 1.3 lakh people were jailed without trial during the Emergency. He argued that the Congress could not claim to be the sole defender of democracy while overlooking its own political record.
The BJP leader accused the Congress and the INDIA bloc of attempting to create distrust in constitutional institutions and using protests and calls for regime change to compensate for electoral defeats.
“Today, the Congress party has crossed all limits,” Nadda said, also criticising Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over his recent remarks concerning Prime Minister Modi's late father.
Nadda said the BJP would respond to such statements through electoral victories rather than political confrontation on the streets.
He reiterated that the country's future would be determined by its citizens and their votes, rejecting what he described as attempts to influence electoral outcomes through illegal immigration.
BJP holds parallel march in Rajkot
The BJP's campaign was also organised in Rajkot on Tuesday under the leadership of Gujarat in-charge Tarun Chugh and state BJP president Jagdish Vishwakarma.
According to a statement issued by the Gujarat BJP's media department, the foot march began near the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at Bahumali Bhavan.
Union Minister Nimuben Bambhaniya, senior BJP leader Parshottam Rupala, state ministers, party functionaries and workers participated in the march.
Addressing the gathering, Chugh accused Rahul Gandhi and the INDIA bloc of attempting to weaken democratic institutions and exert pressure on the judiciary. He said BJP workers had taken to the streets during the Emergency to defend democracy and would continue to oppose any attempts to undermine the constitutional framework.
The BJP said the campaign was intended to counter what it described as misleading propaganda by the Congress against constitutional institutions, particularly the Election Commission.
Through the marches in Ahmedabad and Rajkot, the Gujarat BJP sought to highlight its defence of electoral institutions and the SIR process while challenging the Opposition's allegations regarding voter lists and electoral integrity.
Nadda's address also set out the BJP's political message ahead of the next general election, with the senior leader expressing confidence that the NDA would return to power in 2029 under Modi's leadership. He maintained that India's democratic institutions and electorate would remain central to determining the country's political future.
