The BJP claimed opposition allies have lost confidence in Rahul Gandhi following critical remarks in a DMK mouthpiece.
An editorial in the DMK's 'Murasoli' accused Gandhi of undermining alliance partners and weakening INDIA bloc unity.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla labeled Gandhi a "political liability," citing wider discontent among major regional coalition parties.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a sharp attack on Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday, claiming that both the public and his alliance partners have lost confidence in his leadership. According to PTI, the remarks followed an editorial in the DMK's mouthpiece, 'Murasoli', which reportedly accused the Congress leader of undermining the unity of the opposition INDIA bloc.
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla termed Gandhi a "political liability", arguing that the DMK's criticism reflects a broader, systemic discontent brewing within the opposition coalition. The political friction underscores growing instability within the INDIA bloc, as key regional constituents increasingly question the Congress party's leadership style and commitment to its partners ahead of upcoming electoral contests.
The editorial published in Murasoli on Monday explicitly accused Gandhi of weakening opposition unity and undermining alliance partners. Seizing on the article, Poonawalla released a video statement to criticise the Congress leadership. “The DMK has launched an all-out attack on Rahul Gandhi, calling him politically immature. Nobody has faith or trust in Rahul Gandhi. The Congress uses and throws away its allies,” Poonawalla said.
Highlighting recent structural strains within the opposition alliance, the BJP spokesperson alleged that multiple INDIA bloc members have voiced serious reservations about working under Gandhi. PTI reported that Poonawalla pointed to escalating friction with several regional heavyweights, claiming that "old friends have now become new and real enemies." He added, “Be it the DMK and what they did to them in the Tamil Nadu elections, be it the TMC, the Left, Uddhav Sena or the RJD, all have expressed dissatisfaction.”
Poonawalla further alleged that during a recent meeting of the INDIA bloc, alliance partners openly questioned Gandhi’s leadership credentials. He provided a breakdown of the grievances across the coalition's largest members to support his claims.
“The biggest (opposition) party after the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, has complained about it. The second-biggest party, the Trinamool Congress, is already in tatters," Poonawalla claimed. He noted that the DMK, the third-biggest party in the bloc, did not attend the meeting. "The newest party, the Aam Aadmi Party, has complaints against Rahul Gandhi. The oldest parties, the Left parties, have also expressed similar views,” he said, according to the PTI report.
(With inputs from PTI)
