With the campaigning for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections ending on Wednesday, Congress former president Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav asserted that the NDA-led BJP is not going to cross 150-seat mark in the upcoming elections.
Rahul Gandhi said, “I do not do prediction of seats. 15-20 days ago I was thinking BJP would win around 180 seats but now I think they will get 150 seats. We are getting reports from every state that we are improving. We have a very strong alliance in Uttar Pradesh and we will perform very well…”
Criticising the now-scrapped electoral bonds, Gandhi said the prime minister claims that the scheme was brought to bring transparency in poll funding but then why was it struck down by the Supreme Court.
“The electoral bonds scheme is the biggest extortion scheme in the world. India’s businessmen know it very well. No matter how much the prime minister clarifies, it will have no impact because the entire nation knows that the prime minister is the champion of corruption,” he added.
When asked whether he will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Amethi or Raebareli, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “This is BJP’s question, very good. Whatever order I will get, I will follow it. In our party, all these (selections of candidates) decisions are taken by the CEC.”
Talking to the same tune, Akhilesh Yadav said, “I am happy that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the Samajwadi Party are doing a press conference together…Today, we are in Ghaziabad and this time INDIA alliance will wipe out BJP from Ghaziabad to Ghazipur. Today, farmers are upset as all the promises of BJP turned out to be fake…”
“…’Electoral bond ne inka band baja diya…BJP sabhi bhrashtachiroya ka godaam ban gayi’…They are not only taking corrupts (in their party) but also keeping the money earned by the corrupts..,” added Yadav.
