Describing Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s speech in Rajkot as “lacklustre”, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday taunted her, saying the Congress treads carefully in the state and is scared of speaking fearing a backlash.
“There was nothing in Soniaji’s speech… It was devoid of any substance and when media couldn’t find anything interesting in it they have published big photographs of her,” Mr. Modi said while addressing a rally in Dahod.
“They (Congress) are scared and are speaking carefully… fearing that if anything wrong is uttered the people of state might go against them, leading to party’s wipe out,” he said.
On Wednesday, Ms. Gandhi launched Congress’s poll campaign by addressing a huge rally in Rajkot in which she tore into Mr. Modi government’s performance but avoided any reference to his allegations on the expenditure on her foreign trips.
Mr. Modi accused the Congress of “cheating” people by not honouring its promises made ahead of the 2009 elections, and also defaming Gujarat by spreading false information about it.
“The Congress had given an assurance of curbing price rise within 100 days of coming to power, prior to 2009 elections.... Have they been able to do so,” Mr. Modi asked the gathering to which they said a “no”.
Mr. Modi again asked them is this not called cheating, to which the gathering replied “yes” in unison.
The Chief Minister also exuded confidence that a repeat of last assembly polls will take place in Gujarat, when Congress had to taste defeat in Chota Udepur, a tribal belt, from where Ms. Sonia Gandhi flagged of its poll campaign in the state.
“In the 2007 assembly polls, Congress had to face defeat in Chota Udepur, from where Sonia had launched its election campaign. Likewise, they shall lose the Rajkot seat this time, from where they have started their poll campaign,” Mr. Modi asserted.
“Not only was Congress unable to save its Chota Udepur seat, but it was also wiped off from the entire tribal belt of the state,” he said.
