The opposition has no real issues to raise for the coming 2019 Lok Sabha elections, and so is making noise about irrelevant issues, Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal has said. He also predicted that the BJP would return to power on its own and would take its allies along in forming the next government. 

Goyal's comments came as part of his speech at Zee News's India ka DNA conclave in New Delhi. He dismissed the Congress as a party that has nothing to offer to the voters. "The DNA of the country has changed a lot in the last few years. The youth wants progress and development, not freebies. In 1975, there was a famous dialogue -'mein aaj bhi phenke paise nahi uthata'. In 1971, Congress slogan was garibi hatao, in 2004 it was Congress ka haath garibo ke saath. So they have nothing new to offer. They are only fooling the country. They want the people to remain poor," he said during a discussion at the conclave.

He also trained his guns on the NYAY scheme of basic income proposed by the Congress as part of its poll plank. He questioned the viability of such a scheme. "NYAY scheme is just a false promise. It is like a "sheikh chilli ke sapne". NYAY scheme will push the country towards poverty. Our government wants to make the country self-reliant and not a poor country. Congress should clarify how will  it fund the NYAY scheme? Will they remove all the subsidy schemes?" he asked.

Goyal also faulted the opposition for raising issues that he claimed were not grounded in facts. "Opposition has no issue so it is trying to raise questions about irrelevant issues and data. Our data is credible and the method to measure them keeps on changing. There is no job crisis," he said.

Goyal also ventured his own prediction for the coming 2019 Lok Sabha elections. "My prediction for 2014 was accurate. Our analysis is that BJP will win 297-303 seats and this has got nothing to do with Balakot airstrike. I am confident NDA will win a two-thirds majority. Even after BJP gets a majority on its own, we will take along our allies with us," he declared stressing that the BJP is seeking the people's mandate by highlighting its development work.