Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday launched a fresh attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, questioning the Opposition’s allegations of vote theft and asserting that the Congress would not return to power for the next 30 years.

Addressing an event in New Delhi, Shah criticised Gandhi over his absence from the country and challenged the Congress’s objections to the Election Commission of India (ECI), arguing that the party accepted the electoral process when it won elections but questioned it after defeats.

The remarks came during an event related to projects for the rejuvenation of the Yamuna, where Shah also targeted the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over their political record in Delhi.

Amit Shah’s warning to Rahul Gandhi

Taking a dig at Gandhi over his reported foreign visit, Shah said the Congress leader would have to remember his words when he returned to Delhi.

The Home Minister argued that the Congress’s political setbacks had begun long before Narendra Modi became Prime Minister and said the party could not attribute its electoral losses solely to allegations of irregularities in elections.

Shah also defended his confidence in the BJP’s electoral prospects, contrasting his prediction of the party remaining in power with the Congress’s prospects under its current political approach.

He asserted that the Congress would not get another opportunity to form a government for the next 30 years. The statement was a political prediction made by Shah, rather than an established electoral outcome.

Shah questions Congress over vote theft allegations

Shah accused the Congress and other Opposition parties of adopting inconsistent positions on the Election Commission, depending on whether election results favoured them.

Citing electoral victories in states including Kerala, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh, he argued that the Congress and its allies had accepted the electoral process when they won.

He questioned why the same institutions and electoral arrangements became subjects of criticism when the Opposition lost elections.

Shah also targeted the Opposition’s protests against alleged electoral irregularities and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He alleged that the Congress was using vote theft claims to protect the votes of infiltrators.

These were allegations made by the Home Minister and should be understood as his political assertions, not as independently established findings.

Amit Shah targets Opposition’s protest strategy

The Home Minister also criticised the Opposition’s demonstrations in Delhi, arguing that protests could not overturn the public mandate.

He said political parties seeking electoral victories should engage with people and address their concerns rather than rely on demonstrations and allegations against constitutional institutions.

Shah further accused the Opposition of applying different standards to court decisions, suggesting that it welcomed judgments in its favour while questioning those that went against it.

His remarks came amid continuing political disagreements over the electoral process and the Opposition’s criticism of the Election Commission.

Yamuna projects and attack on AAP

During the same event, Shah inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 43 Delhi Jal Board projects worth Rs. 8,941 crore, aimed at improving wastewater treatment, drinking water infrastructure and the rejuvenation of the Yamuna.

He criticised previous governments in Delhi over the river’s pollution and accused the Congress and AAP of failing to address the problem adequately.

Shah also targeted AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, arguing that political parties should be judged by their performance rather than their explanations for failing to deliver results.

He said the BJP would work towards cleaning the Yamuna and improving water and sewerage infrastructure in the national capital.

The Uttar Pradesh government has highlighted its action against organised crime under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, citing property seizures worth Rs.15,233 crore under the Gangsters Act since March 2017.

The figures form part of the state’s wider campaign against criminal networks and assets allegedly acquired through illegal activities. The government has also highlighted housing projects developed on land reclaimed from illegal occupation, with 148 families receiving homes across two projects.

The reported figures reflect the administration’s stated approach of targeting both criminal networks and the financial resources associated with them.

Rs.15,233 crore in assets seized under Gangsters Act

According to figures reported by the state government, action under the Gangsters Act has been taken against tens of thousands of people since March 20, 2017. The value of seized movable and immovable assets linked to illegal activities has been reported at more than Rs.15,233 crore.

The government has also reported action against identified mafia figures and their associates. Such measures form part of its broader efforts to target organised criminal networks in Uttar Pradesh.

These figures are government-reported statistics and should be attributed to the authorities rather than presented as an independently verified assessment of the state’s overall crime situation.

Housing projects on reclaimed land

The administration has also pointed to housing initiatives using land freed from illegal occupation. According to reports on these projects, 148 families received homes through developments in Lukerganj, Prayagraj, and Dalibagh, Lucknow.

The projects have been presented as an effort to put reclaimed land to public use, including providing housing to economically weaker families.

Yogi government’s anti-gangster approach

The action against criminal assets is part of the Yogi Adityanath government’s broader law-and-order strategy. The administration has repeatedly emphasised action against organised crime, the seizure of assets linked to criminal activity and measures intended to strengthen policing.

The reported seizure figures and housing initiatives illustrate the government’s stated emphasis on pursuing criminal assets alongside action against individuals and gangs.

The Union Territory of Ladakh will hold elections to all Panchayat Halqas on November 21, with the State Election Commission scheduling the entire electoral process to be completed by November 30.

The announcement, made by the State Election Commission on Wednesday, October 21, comes eight years after the last panchayat elections in the region, which were held in November 2018.

According to the announced schedule, the election notification will be issued by the Administrator and the State Election Commission on October 26. Candidates will be able to file their nomination papers until November 2, while scrutiny of nominations is scheduled for November 3.

The deadline for candidates to withdraw their nominations is November 5, ahead of polling on November 21. The complete election process is scheduled to conclude by November 30.

Model code of conduct comes into force

The Model Code of Conduct for candidates and political parties participating in the panchayat elections has come into force with immediate effect.

The commission has directed all concerned to comply with the code and subsequent instructions issued for the elections. The rules are intended to regulate campaign activities and ensure that the electoral process is conducted in accordance with the prescribed guidelines.

The code includes restrictions on the use of places of worship for election propaganda and the use of public or private property for putting up campaign posters without written permission. It also directs public servants to maintain impartiality and refrain from campaigning for or against any candidate or political party.

Ladakh’s previous panchayat elections were held in 2018

The previous general elections to Panchayat Halqas in Ladakh took place in November 2018, when the region was part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Ladakh became a separate Union Territory in 2019 following the reorganisation of the erstwhile state. The upcoming polls will provide an opportunity to elect representatives to local panchayat bodies across the region.

The election schedule also comes amid wider administrative changes in Ladakh, including the restructuring of its district-level governance and the expansion of the proposed autonomous hill council structure.