New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has predicted that the BJP would meet the same fate as it did in the 2004 election.
Addressing the gathering after releasing the Congress party’s manifesto here on Friday, Gandhi said, Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government then launched ‘India Shining’ but the BJP failed to return to power. Congress emerged as the single largest party, proving all the surveys wrong.
“A similar slogan of ‘India Shining’ was propagated in 2004. Do remember who won that campaign,” the former AICC chief remarked.
Gandhi also said that the decision on the selection of the PM face of INDIA bloc will be taken after the general election. The Congress leader said that INDIA is fighting an ideological election and the decision on the PM candidate will be taken after the polls.
INDIA bloc has 27 parties and the Congress is leading the opposition alliance. The NDA led by Prime Minister Modi and he is the prime ministerial face of the alliance.
The BJP-led NDA is seeking a third term in the opposition. During one of the INDIA blocs meet, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had suggested Congress party’s chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s name for the top post. But he, however, had stated that the coalition must win first and later the discussion on this would be held.
The Congress party has released its manifesto, and the nation will be voting in this Lok Sabha election in seven phases. The first of which is on April 19, and the final, on June 1. The counting of votes for all 543 constituencies will be conducted on June 4.
