Rahul Gandhi says PM Modi taught him what not to do after Congress state wins

India वोट Kar | December 12, 2018

PM Modi Teach Me What To Do : Rahul Gandhi On State Wins

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, celebrating his party’s state election victories, told reporters on Tuesday evening that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would now find it very hard to win elections. He said there was a clear feeling that the prime minister had not delivered on his commitments.

The results

The Congress won Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and was in a close contest in Madhya Pradesh in elections widely seen as the last test of popularity before the 2019 general election. It lost Mizoram and did poorly in Telangana, but its heartland wins overshadowed those setbacks. It was one of the party’s best counting days since 2014, when it was routed after 10 years in power and Modi took office.

Gandhi on Modi

Gandhi said Modi had been elected on issues such as jobs and corruption, but that voters had become disillusioned and now believed the prime minister was involved in corruption, which he said explained the BJP’s losses.

The 48-year-old, who had taken much of the blame for the party’s earlier defeats, said the 2014 defeat had been the best thing for him because it taught him a great deal, above all humility. “Frankly, Narendra Modi taught me the lesson – what not to do,” he said. He argued that Modi had been given a huge opportunity but had not listened to the country and had become arrogant.

Campaign and leadership

Defending a campaign in which he repeatedly used the slogan “Chowkidar chor hai” against the prime minister, Gandhi said he had not used objectionable language. He said young voters had elected Modi to work and wanted the economy revived, but claimed the prime minister was paralysed and unable to respond to opposition pressure.

Gandhi credited party workers for the wins, calling them “babbar sher” (lions), and played down talk of a contest over the chief minister’s post in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, saying it would not be a big issue.

What happened next

Kamal Nath became Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and Ashok Gehlot of Rajasthan. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the BJP won 303 seats and the Congress 52, and Modi began a second term.

Originally published on 12 December 2018. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.