Ahmedabad: Exuding confidence, Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday that there was "tremendous undercurrent" against the BJP in Gujarat. He also predicted a "zabardast" (great) victory for his party in the Assembly elections.
Addressing a press conference on the last day of campaigning on Tuesday for the second phase of the poll on December 14, he claimed, "public mood" had undergone a radical change with all sections of society angry with the ruling party.
"It is for the first time in an election that Modi ji has not spoken about corruption. About farmers. There is (zabardast) tremendous undercurrent (against the BJP). Be it Patidars, OBCs, Dalits, farmers, all are angry. The public mood has undergone change. The Congress will win the election. The results will be zabardast," he said.
Replying to a question on PM Modi's remarks over Pakistan meddling in the Gujarat polls, Gandhi said, "I have made my stand clear from day one, in words and in action. Modi ji is the Prime Minister of our country. Mani Shankar Aiyar said something and I made it clear that I would not tolerate it. You have seen the action."
"But what Modi ji has said about former PM Manmohan Singh is not acceptable. Manmohan Singh ji was also the PM of this country, served and made sacrifices for this country," the 47-year-old leader said.
Addressing an election rally in Palanpur in Gujarat on Sunday, PM Modi had sought to suggest that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly polls in the state.
PM Modi claimed some current and former Pakistani officials and Manmohan Singh met at Aiyar's house over dinner on December 6, and a day later Aiyar made the "neech" jibe against him. Aiyar was suspended from the party.
"Narendra Modi ji is my political opponent. He speaks many wrong things about me. But as he is the PM of the country, not a single bad word will come out of my mouth for him. I want to change the political discourse. It has become ugly, it has become nasty. The atmosphere is filled with anger," he noted.
The Congress leader also took on those who raised eyebrows over his visits to temples in Gujarat, wondering if it was wrong to pray for the well-being of people of the state.
"Am I not allowed to visit temples? I have asked for the well-being of the people of Gujarat during my temple visits," he said, responding to a question.
When his attention was drawn to claims by BJP leaders that he only visited temples in Gujarat, Rahul said, "Earlier, I had gone to Kedarnath. Is Kedarnath in Gujarat? This is the BJP's propaganda against me."
He started his day on Tuesday by offering prayers at the famous Lord Jagannath temple in Ahmedabad.
Taking a jibe at PM Modi over his sea-plane ride from the Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad to Dharoi Dam in Mehsana district, Rahul said it was a distraction from the main issues of Gujarat.
Asked how will his party give reservation to the Patel community, a section of which is on warpath with the BJP government, breaching the cap of 50 percent set by the Supreme court, he maintained, "The Congress party's manifesto is clear about it."
Gandhi refuted allegations of BJP leaders that Congress was playing caste politics in the elections by enlisting the support of caste and community group leaders like Hardik Patel, Jignesh Mevani and Alpesh Thakor.
"The Congress wants to take along all sections of Gujarat together as against the BJP which has worked for 10 to 15 industrialists. All sections of society are angry with the BJP and that anger is coming out before this election," he said.
The second and final phase of elections will see 93 Assembly seats spread across 14 districts in north and central Gujarat going to polls.
The first phase of voting for the 182-member Assembly held on December 9, covered 89 seats.
The Gujarat contest is being seen as a prestige battle for PM Modi in his home state, where a reinvigorated Congress has sewed up a broad social coalition with prominent Patidar, OBC, and Dalit leaders in its bid to unseat the BJP in power for over two decades.
In the 2012 Gujarat Assembly polls, the BJP had won 115 seats, while the Congress bagged 61.
(With PTI inputs)
