'Need matured LoP like Vajpayee, Advani, Jaitley': Kiren Rijiju gives 'friendly advice' on building strong Oppn

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the Opposition's repeated allegations of 'vote chori', urging him to behave like a mature Leader of Opposition and draw inspiration from former BJP leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley. Describing his remarks as friendly advice rather than an attack by a political enemy, Rijiju said a strong Opposition was important for the country but accused the Congress of repeatedly raising what he called "bogus vote chori" allegations. "Do not take it negatively.

I'm giving a friendly advice as a political rival, not as an enemy. A strong opposition is good for India. Need matured LoP like Vajpayee ji, Advani ji, Sushma Ji, Jaitley ji. Otherwise Congress will lose further and keep raising bogus Vote Chori," said Rijiju. Do not take it negatively. I'm giving a friendly advice as a political rival not as an enemy. A strong opposition is good for India. Need matured LoP like Vajpayee ji, Advani ji, Sushma Ji, Jaitley ji. Otherwise congress will lose further & keep raising bogus Vote Chori. -- Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) November 7, 2026 The remarks come amid a sustained political confrontation between the BJP and the Congress over allegations of irregularities in electoral rolls and the conduct of elections.

Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly accused the Election Commission and the ruling BJP of facilitating electoral manipulation, allegations that the BJP has rejected. The senior Congress leader has also challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an open debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Parliament. The latest remarks follow Rijiju's earlier seven-point post, in which he outlined what he said Rahul Gandhi should do to help the Congress win more seats in Parliament. On November 4, Rijiu advised Gandhi to spend more time in India and avoid frequent "secret foreign vacations", respect senior leaders and refrain from meeting people he described as "anti-India".

He also asked the Congress leader to end what he called his "deep hatred" towards the BJP, the RSS and Modi, and treat the BJP as a political opponent rather than an enemy. Among his other suggestions, Rijiju urged Gandhi to take Parliament more seriously, allow Congress MPs to participate in debates and discussions, respect the Constitution and constitutional institutions, and ensure that the Congress functions as a democratic party by ending dynastic politics. The exchange comes against the backdrop of the Congress's sustained 'vote chori' campaign, through which Rahul Gandhi has accused the BJP and the Election Commission of India (ECI) of electoral irregularities and alleged manipulation of voter lists.

In September, Gandhi accused the BJP, the RSS and the poll panel of being responsible for what he described as vote theft, calling it a crime against citizens and an attack on the Constitution. The BJP has rejected Gandhi's allegations, while the Election Commission has maintained that decisions concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls were approved unanimously by all three commissioners. The poll body has also said that allegations of electoral malpractice should be backed by evidence and raised through the appropriate procedure.