Former Congress leader and now BJP spokesperson Ashish Deshmukh took a dig at his former party, alleging that Sonia Gandhi won’t make Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge the prime ministerial candidate for the Opposition alliance INDIA as she wants the post for her son, Rahul Gandhi.
Deshmukh’s remarks came as the Congress prepares for a grand celebration on its 138th Foundation Day in Nagpur on December 28. The party has planned a big event at Bahadura ground in Dighori naka and expects a crowd of 10 lakh people.
Deshmukh asked if the Congress would announce Kharge as the PM face at the Nagpur event. “Arvind Kejriwal and Mamata Banerjee have proposed Kharge’s name as PM face. Which party denies the post of PM in an alliance unless there is no consensus? Foundation Day is a good opportunity to clear such things,” said Deshmukh.
“Congress slogan is ‘How are we?’ to lose once again,” he added.
CONGRESS GEARS UP FOR FOUNDATION DAY EVENT IN NAGPUR
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and other top party leaders will be present at the Nagpur rally. The party has named the venue ‘Bharat Jodo Maidan’, and has given the slogan ‘How are we?’ (we are prepared).
Nagpur holds importance for the Congress as in 1959, Indira Gandhi was declared the party’s national president in the city. The city also has landmarks such as Deekshabhoomi, where BR Ambedkar converted to Buddhism along with his supporters.
However, getting votes from Nagpur remains a challenge for Congress as the city is the stronghold of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of the BJP. Also, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s popularity remains a challenge for the Congress in Nagpur.
Congress General Secretary Mukul Wasnik visited Nagpur on Wednesday and said, “It’s true that we are facing challenging times. The upcoming election will decide a lot about the future of this country. Hence, it’s a serious fight. Congress has fought many fights in the past and we hope to get people’s support this time. Indira Gandhi called Nagpur the ‘heart of India’.”
Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole said, “It is the Congress’s responsibility to dismantle this tyrannical system created by the BJP government and work towards creating a corruption-free and tyranny-free India. To safeguard democracy and the Constitution, the party has coined slogans like ‘Hain Taiyaar Hum’.”
Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly and senior Congress leader Vijay Wedattiwar said, “The BJP government has established an autocratic system in the country. Issues like inflation, unemployment, and the challenges faced by farmers and labourers have become severe. Ram Mandir is a grand event because The government has not done any work, that is why Ram’s name is being chanted. (the government hasn’t fulfilled its duties hence they are chanting the name of Lord Ram). They have made politics not about issues but about events.”
