“Hydrogen Bomb” and Congress’s Difficult Road 

By Shiv Mishra

In recent months, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has continuously launched a barrage of accusations against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He has described his revelations as “political bombs”—sometimes calling them “atom bombs,” at other times “hydrogen bombs.” Yet these statements appear less beneficial to Congress and more self-destructive.

Unconcerned about the consequences, Gandhi has been doing things unbecoming of a national-level leader, especially one holding the position of Leader of the Opposition. Ignoring important national occasions, he frequently travels abroad without clear reason, and there he criticizes India unnecessarily in ways that run counter to national interest. This has already cast serious doubt on his role. Other Congress leaders warn that India could face situations similar to Nepal, Bangladesh, or Sri Lanka. Gandhi himself, in his rallies, often delivers inflammatory speeches that deepen caste and communal divisions and incite the youth. Recently, he targeted the judiciary, claiming that “10 percent of upper-caste elites” control it.

Meanwhile, questions linger about his alleged British citizenship, his marital status, and corruption cases such as the Associated Journals property dispute. He has already been sentenced to two years in a defamation case, and several other matters remain pending in courts across the country. It is natural for the nation to wonder whether his connections extend to anti-India organizations or foreign powers.

Allegations on the Haryana Assembly Elections

Just 24 hours before the Bihar Assembly elections, Gandhi leveled serious charges regarding the 2024 Haryana Assembly polls. He claimed that nearly 2.5 million fake votes had been cast, turning Congress’s victory into BJP’s win. He also raised grave doubts about the impartiality of the Election Commission.

However, the actual figures tell another story. BJP received 5.55 million votes (39.94%), while Congress secured 5.43 million (39.09%). The difference was only 118,000 votes, giving BJP 48 seats and Congress 37. This arithmetic is not unusual. Sometimes a party wins a few seats by huge margins, which raises its overall vote share but does not translate into more seats. Conversely, if votes are evenly distributed across constituencies, a party can win more seats even with a narrow margin. That is what happened in Haryana, where BJP managed to win more seats despite the small difference in votes.

India’s electoral system is based on first-past-the-post, where the candidate with the highest votes in each constituency wins. Victory depends on seats, not overall vote percentage.

The Complexity of Seat Arithmetic

In Haryana’s 2024 elections, Congress won Firozpur Jhirka by 98,441 votes, while Punhana and Loharu were won by margins of only 700–800 votes. Out of 90 seats, 31 were decided by margins of less than 1,000 votes—12 for BJP, 10 for Congress, and 9 for other parties. This shows how election results often hinge on very small differences, making Gandhi’s sweeping claims difficult to accept.

Rajiv Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi

In 1984, Congress won 414 seats with 49.1% of the vote—a record in Indian politics. In 1989, its vote share fell to 40.62% and seats to 197. Meanwhile, BJP rose from 2 seats in 1984 to 88 in 1989, with only a modest increase in vote share to 11.87% from 7.74%. This demonstrates that seat counts depend not only on vote percentage but also on regional distribution. Even Rajiv Gandhi expressed disbelief at how a mere 4% increase in BJP’s vote share could yield such a surge in seats.

The “Brazilian Model” Controversy

Rahul Gandhi alleged that a Brazilian model had voted under multiple identities at 22 polling stations. His team even circulated photographs. The model herself released a video denying the claim. Verification showed that the voter ID cards carried the original photographs of Indian women, not the model’s. Several women came forward publicly with their IDs to prove the truth.

It appears Gandhi’s team may have deliberately inserted the model’s photo to sensationalize the issue. This incident severely damaged Congress’s credibility.

The Election Commission and government should form a special investigation team to probe this fraud. If it is proven that Gandhi’s team engaged in deception, strict action must follow to preserve the dignity of Indian democracy and its institutions.

House Numbers and Voter Lists

Gandhi also claimed that hundreds of voters were registered under a single house number. But in many Indian towns, traditional structures like “ Hata or Ahatas” contain dozens of homes and hundreds of residents. Thus, multiple voters under one house number is not unusual.

As for houses listed with “zero” numbers, many small villages still lack assigned building numbers. In databases, if the house number field is mandatory, “0” is often entered as a placeholder. This is a technical necessity, not fraud.

Congress’s Challenges and Direction

The Congress Party has historically played a central role in Indian politics. Yet after 11 years out of power at the center, it is now in deep introspection. Rahul Gandhi, despite holding various positions and being the face of the opposition, has not succeeded in energizing the organization. Congress’s presence is now limited to a few states. In Odisha and Punjab, the party has lost ground, while in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar its presence is negligible.

Nationally, Congress’s role has also diminished. If it relies solely on regional parties to gain power, it risks losing its independent identity and falling prey to instability and ideological imbalance, as seen during UPA-II. Today, Congress’s biggest challenge is not BJP but regional parties that have divided its traditional vote base.

Unless Congress rethinks its ideology and alliance strategy, and adopts an inclusive nationwide vision beyond sectarian appeasement or vote-bank politics, it risks being reduced to a minority-interest party.

Conclusion

Rahul Gandhi’s “hydrogen bomb” statements are not benefiting Congress; instead, they are weakening it. As investigations reveal facts, Congress’s credibility suffers further. Repeatedly casting doubt on the dignity of Indian democracy undermines public trust.

Politics cannot run on sensational accusations. The people seek solid facts and reliability. In this climate, Rahul Gandhi himself is proving to be a self-destructive bomb for his own party.

~~~~~~~~~Shiv Mishra ~~~~~~~~~~~