“First the Heir, Then the Party”: BJP Slams Congress After Rahul Speaks Before Kharge at Public Event

Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday launched a fierce political offensive against the Congress after a viral video appeared to show party president Mallikarjun Kharge being sidelined at a public programme, reigniting the debate over internal democracy within the opposition party.

The video, widely circulated on social media, captures a moment where the announcer invites Kharge to address the gathering. Seconds later, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi is heard saying, “main pehle bolunga” (I will speak first), before stepping forward to deliver his speech. Kharge is then seen quietly returning to his seat without speaking, a moment that has since drawn sharp political reactions.

Seizing on the clip, the BJP shared the video on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, using it to attack the Congress leadership structure. In a pointed remark, the BJP claimed the episode revealed who truly runs the party, despite the presence of an elected national president.

In a Hindi post accompanying the video, the BJP alleged that giving priority to Rahul Gandhi over Mallikarjun Kharge sent a clear signal about power equations inside the Congress. The ruling party accused the Congress of lacking internal democracy and functioning as a family-controlled organisation, rather than a cadre-driven political party.

“The message is clear — first the heir, then the party,” the BJP said, adding that the post of Congress president has been reduced to a symbolic role, while real authority rests elsewhere.

The BJP further alleged that such incidents expose the Congress’s long-standing leadership culture, where decision-making is concentrated within a single family, regardless of official positions or constitutional posts within the party.

The Congress, meanwhile, has not issued an official response to the BJP’s allegations or the viral video so far.