Calling the BJP a ‘party of thieves’, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said that the electorates should get rid of the Chhattisgarh BJP Government.
“The BJP has looted the natural resources of the state and despite being rich in resources, the state has not developed. The fund being sent by the Centre is not being used properly. For Chhattisgarh to develop, this governmentneeds to be thrown out”, Rahul, who was addressing a party rally at Kharsia in Raigarh district, said.
Kharsia is the constituency of former PCC chief Nand Kumar Patel, who was killed in the May 25 Darbha valley Maoist ambush. His son Umesh Patel is the party candidate. Rahul said that the tribals of the state were facing a Darbha valley like situation everyday. “Nand kumar Patel was killed in Jiram valley on May 25. However, for the tribals and dalits of the state every day is May 25 and every place is Jiram valley. Atrocities on women is also May 25 and when youth are devoid of education then that day is also May 25,” Rahul said.
The state goes to poll on November 19 for the second phase in which elections will be held for 72 seats. Rahul refrained from attacking BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, who on Friday in a rally in the state, had blamed the Gandhi family for the problems of the country.
For the major part of his speech, he focused on Nand Kumar Patel and said that he was a leader who was connected to the people. “Watching him (Patel) for the first time, I felt that he will become chief minister as he was connected with the people and the ground. Whenever I talked with him, he never spoke of becoming candidate or minister. He always said that he wanted to fight for the people,” Rahul said.
“Had Nand Kumar Patel became chief minister, then he would have been the CM for 15 years because he was associated with the common man and knew their plight”, he added. Rahul is scheduled to address two more rallies in the state on Saturday.