Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, campaigning in Jammu and Kashmir, criticized the BJP by claiming that if the opposition INDIA bloc had won 20 more seats in the recent Lok Sabha elections, BJP leaders would be in jail. He highlighted BJP's failure to secure the 400 seats they had targeted, managing only 240 seats compared to the INDIA bloc's 234. Kharge's remarks drew sharp criticism from BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, who accused Congress of exhibiting a 'dictatorial' mindset reminiscent of the Emergency period. Kharge later clarified his comments, stating that legal consequences would follow for the misuse of agencies like ED, CBI, and IT. Additionally, Kharge announced several guarantees for J&K voters, including financial aid for women and health insurance. The BJP, however, dismissed these promises as empty rhetoric.