Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the BJP had systematically attacked every institution in the last five years, including the media. “The PM should stop thinking people are fools and understand that they see through this,” she said in response to Modi’s blog where he attacked the Congress for dynastic politics. Priyanka’s attack was followed by senior party leader Kapil Sibal who said the RSS itself was a dynast. “It is the biggest dynasty.... if you want to become a CM then you have to be a member of RSS,” he said.
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will hold a rally in Tripura and Imphal today in the run-up to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. This will be Gandhi's first visit to Tripura after being elected AICC president. An interaction between the Congress chief and Manipur students will take place at 9.45am, following which Gandhi will address a public meeting. His sister Priyanka, meanwhile, will conclude her three-day Ganga Yatra in PM Modi's constituency Varanasi. The grand old party also released its sixth list of nine candidates, seven from Maharashtra and two from Kerala, for the Lok Sabha elections. With this, the party has so far released names of 146 candidates for the polls starting April 11.
The opposition Mahagatbandhan in Bihar, which was expected to announce its seat-sharing formula on Sunday, hit a roadblock after RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav asked the Congress to rethink its seat tally to offer better numbers to the other allies. The dispute erupted after
Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samata Party demanded to contest on five seats, while it was being offered three. Other allies, Jitan Ram Manjhi's HAM and Sharad Yadav's LJD, were also not satisfied with the seat-sharing pact, following which the grand alliance had to rework their formula. They were expected to announce their final distribution of seats today but it has now been delayed to March 22.
On the eve of Holi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address over 25 lakh watchmen through audio bridge medium as he steps up his 'Main bhi chowkidar' campaign in the run up to the Lok Sabha campaign.
Party's media head and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni said Modi will share the "colours of Holi" with watchmen across the country in the address on Wednesday. The prime minister is also scheduled to interact with people, who have pledged their support to the 'Main bhi chowkidar' (I also am a watchman) campaign, from 500 places in the country on March 31.
Noting that watchmen work round-the-clock without taking any leave, Baluni said Modi's initiative is aimed at highlighting the works of people like them and added that it was an important step for improving the lot of the last man in line with the BJP's credo of 'sabka saath sabka vikas' (With all, development for all). People from different walks of life have lent their support to the 'Main bhi chowkidar' campaign, he asserted.
The Congress Tuesday took a swipe at "Main Bhi Chowkidar" campaign, alleging that PM Modi is trying to befool the people by pretending to be a "chowkidar". Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the Modi government does not have anything to offer to the people after being in power for five years and therefore, was resorting to such a campaign.
"Modi is trying to resell his brand which has already flopped and is thus changing its packaging, name and colour to achieve his goal," he told reporters. Surejwala claimed that in 2013, Modi had promised to bring back 80 lakh crore of black money stashed abroad and putting Rs 15 lakh into the accounts of every individual. "In 2014, just ahead of the elections he promised the people of bringing 'achche din' (good days) in the country and in 2015, changed it to 'sabka saath, sabka vikas'.
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