Hours before its prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, landed in Amethi on Monday, the BJP attacked Congress vice-president and candidate Rahul Gandhi by releasing a report card on his performance as MP and a film capturing the state of development of the constituency.
“Rahul Gandhi’s average attendance in the Lok Sabha is 42.99 per cent as against the 76 per cent of other MPs. He has participated in two debates, one of which was reading out a statement. He has asked zero questions, whereas the average number of questions asked is 300,” senior BJP leader and MP Yashwant Sinha said here.
“For the past 30-35 years, someone or the other from the Gandhi family has been representing Amethi, but the constituency is in bad shape. How many times has Mr. Gandhi raised any issue pertaining to Amethi in Parliament? Has he ever verbally, or through letters, raised issues with the State or Central government? What work has he done, what is his record in the last five years?”
Assailing Mr. Gandhi for not “developing” his constituency, Mr. Modi, after his address, tweeted and sought support for the BJP candidate: “A vote for @smritiirani is a vote for progress. She will do for Amethi in 60 months what they never did all these yrs.”
Mr. Modi’s rally is being perceived as a huge departure from the BJP “tradition” of senior leaders staying away from Gandhi family strongholds.
