PM Modi losing credibility, claims Rahul Gandhi; BJP says stop calling defeat a ‘moral win’

Javadekar mocked Rahul for claiming Gujarat verdict as moral victory. (File)

Senior BJP leaders Prakash Javadekar and Ananth Kumar on Tuesday reacted sharply to Rahul Gandhi’s remark that the results of the Gujarat assembly election raise questions on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s credibility, saying it is rather the “credibility of newly elected Congress president (that) has gone down in the eyes of people”. The BJP won 99 seats in Gujarat while Congress bagged 77 in the bitterly fought elections, the results of which were announced on Monday.

Mocking PM Modi’s ‘Gujarat model’, Rahul, while addressing the media earlier in the day, said Modi had credibility issues and could led the BJP to a narrow victory in the state. “A question has been raised at PM Modi’s credibility. Modi ji has a credibility problem,” he said while claiming a moral victory in the Gujarat Assembly election 2017. He said poll results have dealt a massive blow to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Reacting to the Congress chief’s remarks, Union Human Resources and Development (HRD) minister Prakash Javadekar  mocked him for “considering the defeat in assembly elections as a victory” and said the Congress is facing continuous defeats.

“In 2014, Congress lost the elections under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership. And now he is considering the defeat in assembly elections as a victory. People of this country are giving regular blows to the Congress and Rahul Gandhi ji says that Narendra Modi has credibility issues and his credibility has gone down in the eyes of people,” he said.

राहुल गाँधी जी @OfficeOfRG को समझना चाहिए कि झटका तो कांग्रेस को लग रहा है । जनता चुनावों में कांग्रेस को लगातार झटके पे झटके दे रही है और राहुल गाँधी जी कह रहे है कि नरेन्द्र मोदी जी की विश्वनीयता कम हो रही है,भाजपा का विकास का मॉडल फेल है । @narendramodi @AmitShah @BJP4India

— Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) December 19, 2017

The HRD minister also hit back at Rahul, saying it is the Congress and not the BJP that has suffered a blow in the Gujarat assembly elections 2017. Addressing a press conference, Javadekar said, “BJP has formed the government for the sixth time in a row in Gujarat and has got a 2/3rd majority in Himachal Pradesh. And Rahul Gandhi is saying that BJP has suffered a massive blow. People have put their faith in BJP and it’s the people—who were calling Vikas ‘mad’—have been given the jolt.”

विकास को पागल कहने वाले विकास के मॉडल को कैसे समझेंगे @OfficeOfRG । हताशा और निराशा में कुछ भी बोल रहे हैं @narendramodi @AmitShah @BJP4India

— Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) December 19, 2017

The Congress chief had said the results in the Gujarat assembly polls had given a “massive jolt” to the BJP, as it is a clear signal that their political propaganda is no longer working on the people. “BJP has received a tremendous blow in Gujarat. PM Modi keeps trotting out the party line but the people of the country are no longer listening,” Rahul told reporters a day after the election results were announced.

“I got to know that people in Gujarat do not approve of Modi ji’s model, the marketing and propaganda is very good but it is hollow from the inside, they could not answer our campaign.”

“A question has been raised at PM Modi’s credibility. Modi ji has a credibility problem,” he further said.

Meanwhile, Union minister Ananth Kumar also took a swipe at Rahul. “Credibility of Congress and Rahul Gandhi is at an all-time low, while PM Modi’s credibility is at an all-time high not just in India but globally,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.

In Gujarat, the BJP retained power for the sixth consecutive term after winning a clear majority in the assembly elections. However, unlike what BJP president Amit Shah had predicted, they were not able to wrest 150 seats and were given a tough fight by the Congress.

Out of 182 assembly seats, BJP bagged 99, Congress won 77 and others won seven seats. BJP’s vote share in the state increased from 47.9 percent (2012) to 49.1 percent. Though, it is a huge comedown if one compares it with the 59.1 percent share it got in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. On the other hand, the Rahul Gandhi-led party improved its performance and its vote share increased from 38.9 percent (2012) to 41.4 percent.

In Himachal Pradesh, BJP won 44 seats and Congress managed to win only 21 seats in the 68-member House.