New Delhi:
Putting a twist on the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan: “ab ki baar 400 pairsCongress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has said that the people have seen through the 'theatrics' of the current government and have given it a new mantra of their own: 'ab ki baar aap ki sarkar, ab ki baar janata ki sarkar“(this time) a government run by you, a government run by the people”.
In an attack on the BJP in the crucial state of Maharashtra, which elects the second highest number of Lok Sabha MPs at the age of 48, Mrs Gandhi said at a rally in Latur on Saturday that the people have decided to vote out this government which has given rise to inflation and unemployment and provide a dispensation that serves them.
While speaking about the failure of the BJP-led government at the Center and the Congress's guarantees, Mrs Gandhi was interrupted by someone in the audience who said:ab ki baar' slogan in favor of her party.
Taking the opportunity to take a look at the BJP and Prime Minister Modi, who turned their target of winning 400 Lok Sabha seats through the NDA into the “ab ki baar 400 pairs (this time more than 400 seats) slogan, Mrs. Gandhi said in Hindi: “Ab ki baar aap ki sarkar, ab ki baar janata ki sarkar. You have suffered enough. Prime Minister Modi and all his ministers have understood that the mood of the people is changing, that their drama and theater will no longer work and the only thing that will work is the truth.”
“Voters want the truth and want to go back to their ancient religious tradition in which every leader bows to the people and realizes that he or she has a huge responsibility to them, the greatest of which is that the truth must be told. The duty of a leader is to serve the people and this is a tradition that you have instilled in politicians. But you are now taking a step back and giving leaders the impression that they can talk about religion and they don't have to do any work for the voters,” she added.
Giving an example of a voter she met in UP's Firozabad, Mrs Gandhi said the woman told her she would vote on the basis of religion and caste. This mentality, the Congress leader said, works in favor of the leaders and their children, but not in favor of the voters themselves.
“Your vote is for roads in your area, schools for your children, water in your homes and for jobs. Do not vote for a leader or a party, vote for your own benefit, for your family, village, city and leaders become arrogant when they are in power, and that is what you see now,” she said.
'Mangalsutra' refutation
The Congress leader also reacted sharply to the Prime Minister's claim of a so-called 'redistribution promise' in her party's manifesto, saying he is spreading misinformation to divert attention from real issues.
“A Prime Minister uses his office to talk about things like Congress stealing your 'mangalsutras'. This country has seen so many great Prime Ministers – not just from the Congress – like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh. But Prime Minister Modi has reduced the status of the office so much that instead of asking for votes based on his performance, he is talking about a political party that steals your jewelry using an X-ray machine,” he said.
Referring to the Congress's guarantees in Karnataka, which contributed to its victory in the Assembly elections last year, Mrs Gandhi said its successful implementation is proof that the manifesto promises carry weight.
Voters in 13 constituencies in Maharashtra have cast their votes in the first two phases and 11 more seats will go to polls in the third phase on May 7. The BJP and its ally, the undivided Shiv Sena, had won 41 of the 48 seats. in 2019, but the match is seen as much closer this time.
The BJP, the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP are contesting against a coalition of the Congress, the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena and the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP.