Ahmedabad
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi Monday asserted that his party would defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the coming Assembly elections in Gujarat.
Addressing a public meeting in the tribal Dediapada village of Narmada district in South Gujarat, Mr Gandhi took dig at the ruling dispensation and Prime Minister, saying that Gujarat was currently being ruled by no more than 10-15 people and that in “Vibrant Gujarat”, nobody except those people (close to Narendra Modi) have got real benefits.
The Congress vice-president, in his approximately 20-minute speech tried to reach out to the tribals by saying that if Congress came to power it would see that the first right on Jal (water), Jungle (forests) and Jameen (land) would be with the tribals and not those ruling or dominating the state. “The RSS and BJP do not respect you (tribals).
They want you to go to big cities and become servants of those living there. Congress party would never allow this. We will protect your rights on jal, jungle and jameen,” Gandhi said. In a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr Gandhi said Mr Modi had promised jobs to two crore youth every year, but created jobs for only a lakh last year.
“He only wants you to hear his Mann ki Baat. When we do come back to power, Congress will come to your doorsteps and hear your mann ki baat. We do not believe that only one man can bring progress or development but it is all of you who contribute to development,” he said.
Despite rumours of cracks in party ranks, all the leading Congress leaders from the state, including state party chief Bharatsinh Solanki, leader of Opposition in the state Shankarsinh Vaghela, newly-appointed party in-charge Ashok Gehlot as well as Ahmed Patel, were seated on the stage with Mr Gandhi.