The Congress on Wednesday shot back at BJP president Amit Shah’s challenge to name a chief ministerial candidate for Gujarat, saying the Assembly elections in the State were not about an individual.
“The contest is not about individuals, as we have always said. It is about our ideology, it is about the people of Gujarat ... Our fight is a janandolan [people’s struggle] along with the people of Gujarat against the repressive policies of the government in the State and at the Centre,” he said.
On Tuesday, Mr. Shah dared the Congress to name the leader under whom the party is fighting the polls. “We are clear that we are fighting under the leadership of Vijay Rupani. Can the Congress say who their leader is? Is it Bharatsinh Solanki or Shaktisinh Gohil under whom they are fighting,” Mr. Shah asked in a television interview.
Tit for tat
Mr. Singh said, “We are not asking them [BJP] how they are fighting the elections. The BJP has fought elections in many States, be it Haryana, Maharashtra or Jharkhand — they did not have a face for a CM.”
“The most glaring aspect of ‘Modinomics’ is that it has diminished India’s strong trade fundamentals and left its image battered due to its faulty policies, which have led to exports plunging miserably and the trade deficit expanding. If this was not enough, a fresh crisis is brewing with price rise (inflation) raising its ugly head,” Mr. Singh said.
The Congress has named Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh its face for the Himachal Pradesh elections.
