The Congress is euphoric with the 2.7 crore views its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections has received, on senior leader Rahul Gandhi’s Instagram. Saying the ‘Nyay Patra’ has received a thumbs-up, the party said this is proof that the five ‘nyay’ guarantees are being appreciated by the people of India.
In an exclusive to News18, Congress political strategist and communications head Jairam Ramesh said the manifesto is the “people’s manifesto” and will be a game-changer. This, too, on a day when top BJP leaders led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the document read like a manifesto for the Muslim League.
“Let me ask the PM, Syama Prasad Mukherjee, the founder of the Jana Sangh, was in league with the Muslim League and part of a coalition government with it in Bengal. It was Mr (LK) Advani and Jaswant Singh, who went to Pakistan and eulogised leaders of the Muslim League. What is this language of the PM? A desperate PM? Is talking about farmer loans, filling government vacancies communal? All we said was that we will ensure constitutional rights of each and every Indian, including the minorities,” Ramesh said.
He also dismissed the ‘400 paar’ slogan of the prime minister, saying this is being done to ensure that the Constitution is changed or rejected. But, he said there is change on the ground.
“We will definitely get the required 272. Remember, in 2004, too, India was shining and you saw what happened,” Ramesh said.
The Congress is clearly not impressed with the BJP’s election campaign, while Ramesh said Prime Minister Modi knows he will not win this time. So, even the ‘ghar mein ghuskar maarenge’ line by him was dismissed by the senior Congress leader.
“This is a diversionary tactic. Pulwama was an intelligence failure,” he said. But, the issue remains when it comes to the role of Rahul Gandhi.
The Congress has sealed an alliance with Omar Abdullah, but differences with some players still remain, such as the Trinamool Congress. Again, Ramesh said: “The TMC remains part of the INDIA front.”
And on who will be the PM face for the opposition bloc, he said: “This is not a beauty contest. It’s not a presidential system. It’s not PM versus others. It’s BJP versus Congress.”
He dismissed the defections from his party saying only those threatened by the BJP or were opportunistic, were leaving. On Amethi, meanwhile, he put out a subtle hint. “The people of Amethi want him (Rahul Gandhi) to fight from Amethi. The party wants but, in the end, the CEC will decide,” he added.
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