Congress, whose star campaigner and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi has hit back at Modi over his remarks, thinks that they will have an ”impact” on the electorate in LS constituency, which goes to polls on Monday May 6th.
”The prime minister, who insults the martyrdom of the jawans by seeking votes in their names, yesterday insulted a noble person (Rajiv Gandhi)….the people of Amethi for whom Rajiv Gandhi laid down his life, will give a befitting reply,” Priyanka tweeted on Sunday.
”Modi’s remarks on Rajivji will not go down well with the electorate in UP , who still remember the former PM,” said a senior UP Congress leader here.
Modi said that Rajiv Gandhi, who started his political career as ‘Mr. Clean’ died as ”bhrashtachari (corrupt) number one” apparently referring to the Bofors controversy.
During the 2014 LS polls also, Modi, who was then BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, while addressing an election rally at Amethi had attacked Rajiv Gandhi.
Modi had then claimed that Rajiv Gandhi, when the latter was an office bearer of the Congress party, had ”insulted” the then Andhra Pradesh chief minister T.Anjaiah at an airport. Modi had also said that Rajiv was an ”arrogant” person.
Priyanka had then also reacted sharply and asked the electorate of Amethi to ”teach a lesson” to BJP.
Union minister Smriti Irani, who was then also in the fray against Congress president Rahul Gandhi from Amethi, had lost by over one lakh votes.
Post Modi vitrolic attack on Rajiv , Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati also on Sunday appealed to the workers of the Samajwadi Party (SP)-BSP alliance to vote for the Congress in Monday’s election when people in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi and Rae Bareli will cast their ballots.
Read more : Rahul Replied Love And Hug To Modi’s Vitriolic Attack Against His Father
Congress President Rahul Gandhi is fighting from Amethi while his mother and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi is the candidate from Rae Bareli.
In a statement, Mayawati said: “The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress are alike. We have not done any coalition with the Congress but to defeat the BJP, our coalition will vote for the Congress in Amethi and Rae Bareli.
“In the four phases of elections, the public has supported the SP-BSP coalition, which is disturbing the BJP. This alliance will not only make a new Prime Minister at the Centre but also a new government in Uttar Pradesh.”
On May 23, India will be liberated from autocratic and egoistic rule, she added
