Union home minister Amit Shah slammed the Congress party on Saturday, saying that despite Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra,' the grand old party was swept out of the northeast in the recent elections. His remarks came while he was speaking at a rally in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, alongside former state chief minister Vasundhara Raje.
Shah also poked fun at the recent Ashok Gehlot-Sachin Pilot squabble in the Rajasthan Congress, saying that the two leaders are fighting for power in vain because neither will get it because the BJP is coming into power this time.
Further criticising the Congress party, Shah said in Hindi (translated in English): "...Pilot ji, whatever you do, your number will not come, maybe your contribution is more on the ground than Gehlot ji, but Gehlot ji's contribution is more in Congress's treasure."
Sachin Pilot has reopened his campaign against Rajasthan Congress chief minister Ashok Gehlot, deepening the party's crisis. Sachin Pilot went on a fast against corruption after being denied the position of chief minister despite promises from the Gandhi family, targeting nemesis Ashok Gehlot for his "inaction" on charges against Vasundhara Raje.
Rajasthan Assembly elections will be held in or before December 2023 to elect all 200 members of the state's Legislative Assembly.
Ahead of the event, Rajasthan BJP state President CP Joshi, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rajendra Rathore, state general secretary Bhajan Lal, division incharge Mukesh Dadhich, and district president Rishi Bansal reviewed preparations for the meeting.
A day earlier on Friday, the Union minister set a target for his party to win 35 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal in next year's election, claiming that if the goal is met, the Mamata Banerjee government in the state will not survive beyond 2025.
Asserting that Narendra Modi will be the country's prime minister again in 2024, Shah stated that leaders such as Mamata Banerjee will never be able to respond appropriately to Pakistan or combat militancy in Kashmir.
Shah's remark drew sharp reaction from the Trinamool Congress who questioned how a Union minister could "openly threaten to topple an elected government."
TMC leader and party's virtual number two, Abhishek Banerjee, whom Shah had targeted in his speech, responded with a tweet saying he would quit politics if the home minister did not release the "Rs 1.15 lakh crore rightfully due to my state."