New Delhi

The Congress on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging that he has intensified efforts to weaken opposition parties and undermine democratic institutions after failing to secure the passage of a Constitution amendment bill in the Lok Sabha earlier this year.

The party claimed that Shah was orchestrating a systematic campaign to attract opposition lawmakers into the BJP through political inducements and asserted that, despite these efforts, he would not achieve his larger political objective.

The remarks came amid growing speculation of possible defections within several opposition parties, including the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the home minister had escalated what he described as an assault on opposition forces following what he termed a setback in Parliament when a Constitution amendment proposal failed to secure approval.

According to Ramesh, several legislators and MPs elected on platforms opposing the BJP are now being persuaded to switch sides through attractive offers.

"Those who were elected just a few years ago on a clear anti-BJP mandate are being lured away. Reports suggest that the incentives being offered are staggering," he said in a post on social media platform X.

The Congress leader further alleged that the BJP was employing a highly organised strategy tailored to individual political leaders, comparing it to customised products offered by financial institutions.

Ramesh accused Shah of pursuing a politically motivated agenda aimed at weakening democratic opposition, but maintained that such efforts would ultimately fail.

The Congress comments come against the backdrop of political turmoil in opposition ranks. On Tuesday night, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut alleged that attempts were being made to purchase the loyalty of elected representatives from Maharashtra.

In a social media post, Raut claimed that an advance payment of Rs 15 crore was being offered to certain MPs, though he did not provide evidence to support the allegation.

The political atmosphere has become more charged following recent developments within the Trinamool Congress, where a group of rebel MPs announced their merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), a little-known political outfit based in Tripura.

The dissident TMC leaders have indicated their intention to challenge the Mamata Banerjee-led leadership for control over the party's election symbol and organisational structure. The TMC, however, has dismissed the move as a violation of anti-defection provisions and has vowed to contest the rebellion.

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With opposition parties facing internal challenges and allegations of political poaching dominating public discourse, the Congress has sought to position the developments as part of a broader effort by the BJP to consolidate power ahead of future electoral battles.