Gondiya, April 17 (IANS): As the heat and dust of campaigning for the first phase of Lok Sabha subsided this evening, the Congress expressed confidence that it will win all the five seats for which voting will be conducted in Maharashtra on April 19, here on Wednesday.
State Congress President Nana Patole contended that there is massive anger against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that will benefit the Opposition parties.
“The BJP is trying to hide its sins by criticising the Nehru-Gandhi families… Why is the PM and his party silent on the real issues confronting the masses like runaway inflation, massive joblessness and other problems,” demanded Patole, while addressing media persons here.
Patole said that the masses have wholeheartedly accepted the candidates of the INDIA bloc constituents and Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance partners, and “will bless them in the elections” in Nagpur, Ramtek (SC), Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST), Bhandara-Gondiya and Chandrapur.
However, in contrast, he pointed out how the ruling party leaders and candidates have faced strong hostility from the people in many parts of the state, they vented their anger at the BJP’s oppressive policies and ignored the genuine problems that remain unsolved.
Patole added that in the past 10 years, the BJP government at the Centre has frittered away the country’s wealth, pushed it into deep debts, ruined the lives of farmers and jeopardised the future of the youth.
The Congress and its allies organised public rallies, big and small padyatras, corner meetings and even door-to-door canvassing, where they attempted to popularise the ‘Five Nyays’ and 25 Guarantees promised by the party to the people of the country, intended for the welfare of the ordinary masses.
“The people have clearly understood how the BJP has attempted to whitewash corruption by letting loose the Central investigative agencies, threatened tainted leaders and after they switched sides got them ‘laundered’ and respectable,” slammed Patole, who carried out final corner meetings and a padyatra before the curtains came down on the electioneering.
Patole said it was strange that instead of talking about what the Modi regime did in the past 10 years, they kept talking about the performance of the Congress governments headed by the Nehru-Gandhi family, and warned that “the people of India will give the BJP a fitting reply” at the hustings.