'Haven't Seen A More Insecure Leader': Congress Leader Takes Swipe At Rahul Gandhi, BJP Reacts

Last Updated:January 24, 2026, 19:54 IST

Poonawala’s comments came after Bihar Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed described Rahul Gandhi as the 'virtual President' of the Congress.

Left: BJP leader Shehzad Poonawala; Right: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi

Senior Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed’s remarks describing Rahul Gandhi as the “virtual President" of the party have triggered sharp political reactions, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) citing them as proof of what it calls a leadership crisis within the Congress.

Reacting to the comments, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawala on Saturday launched a strong attack on Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of weakening the Congress from within and misleading the public on claims of internal democracy.

Poonawala said Shakeel Ahmed’s statements had exposed the “real functioning" of the Congress under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership. He alleged that Gandhi was insecure and uncomfortable with leaders who did not make him feel dominant, and that such leaders were gradually sidelined.

According to Poonawala, this culture of insecurity had led to deep internal weaknesses in the party and was responsible for its repeated electoral losses. Referring to the Congress’s defeat in Bihar, he said the loss was not due to vote theft or any technical issue, but because of internal failures and poor ticket distribution.

“These leaders have clearly said that the party lost due to internal weaknesses. Yet Rahul Gandhi keeps blaming vote theft to cover up his failures," Poonawala said, adding that Gandhi’s public narrative on democracy did not reflect the reality within the party.

He further claimed that Rahul Gandhi had systematically pushed aside senior leaders who were once close to former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, reducing the party to a marginal force in several states.

Shakeel Ahmed Remarks

Poonawala’s comments followed a video clip in which Bihar Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed described Rahul Gandhi as the “virtual President" of the Congress. The clip was shared by BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari.

In the video, Shakeel Ahmed said he had not sought time to meet Rahul Gandhi for the past five years and hinted at a sense of suspicion within the party leadership towards its own members. He also said that he had not seen a leader more insecure than Rahul Gandhi.

BJP’s Reaction

Reacting to the video, Pradeep Bhandari accused Rahul Gandhi of hypocrisy on the issue of democracy. “Shakeel Ahmad has claimed that Rahul Gandhi has installed Mallikarjun Kharge as a dummy Congress President… in reality, the LoP Rahul Gandhi does not believe in organisational democracy," Bhandari said.

Bhandari added that more Congress leaders were now openly admitting that Rahul Gandhi alone was responsible for the party’s repeated electoral defeats. He also said that he had never seen a politician more insecure than Rahul Gandhi.

The video was also shared by BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya, who said the remarks reflected a deeper problem within the Congress.

“The truth within the Congress is now coming out into the open. Former Union Minister Shakeel Ahmad has described Rahul Gandhi as an insecure leader. He has labeled Rahul Gandhi a coward and said that Rahul does not like strong leaders in the Congress. According to Shakeel Ahmad, leaders who are strong in the party due to their thinking and connection to the grassroots make Rahul Gandhi uncomfortable. This is precisely why the Congress has continuously weakened its own leaders and not allowed grassroots leadership to rise," wrote Malviya.

“This statement is not just the opinion of one individual but an open indication of the leadership crisis and intolerance that has persisted within the Congress for years. When there is no democracy within the party itself, what option can it offer to the country? The problem with Congress is not the opposition; it is its own leadership," he added.

News politics 'Haven't Seen A More Insecure Leader': Congress Leader Takes Swipe At Rahul Gandhi, BJP Reacts

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