Congress spokesperson Rajiv Shukla claimed that the party would bag 160 of the 200 seats in Rajasthan in the polls scheduled for December 7.

Addressing media at the state Congress Committee headquarters on Thursday, he said, "What kind of a corruption-free India they have given where the Supreme Court has to ask for the Rafale aircraft deal details?" He further said, "BJP recalls Lord Ram only when elections are near. They have nothing to do with Lord Ram, except garnering votes in His name during elections."

Shukla said there was massive resentment against Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. "Even BJP leaders admit that," he said.

Asked who will be the party's face of chief minister in the desert state, he mentioned party general secretary Ashok Gehlot and state unit chief Sachin Pilot.

"After the elections, MLAs will decide on the matter. We are contesting polls under their [Pilot and Gehlot's] joint leadership and the guidance of party president Rahul Gandhi," Shukla said.

He said the BJP had mastered the art of fooling people. "Not even 10 per cent of the poll promises made by the BJP-led government have been fulfilled," he said. "The state government is trying to show off work where there is none, by putting up hoardings and ads in the papers."

The former union minister criticised the government's mismanagement of the economy. "The state owes Rs 3 lakh crore in debt, which shows how the Raje government has pushed the state in BIMARU category. Not even 1.5 lakh people gained employment, which isn't even 10 per cent of the figure [15 lakh] committed to by the party," Shukla said.

CRUSHED BY A WAVE

• In 2013, Cong was reduced to 21 seats, its worst tally ever in state. Big guns in the 133-year-old party who lost the polls by wide margins openly gave credit to the Modi wave, even as he was about to be declared the BJP’s PM candidate.