With his coronation as BJP’s prime ministerial candidate is almost certain after the parliamentary board meeting of the party, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took pot shots at the ruling Congress saying it had given a new lexicon of corruption to the country.
“Now a student will learn A for Adarsh scam, B for Bofors scam, C for CWG scam, D-for Damaad Ka Karobar (son-in-law’s business- an obvious reference to Robert Vadra),” Modi said at a rally in favour of Vasundhra Raje Scindia, party’s chief ministerial candidate for Rajasthan Assembly polls.
Setting the stage for direct contest between him and likely competitors from the Congress, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh or Rahul Gandhi, Modi said, “There is no Neta (leader), Neeti (policy), Niyat (intention) and Naitikta (propriety) in the central government...The Congress after 1947 is immersed in the Bhakti of one family only.”
“People do not know what issues the PM raised in an important forum like the G-20, but they do know that the Prime Minister did announce a name of his new boss...he is ready to work under leadership of him (Rahul Gandhi) after next 2014 general polls,” Modi said at the well-attended rally in Jaipur.
Comparisons between Modi and Rahul are likely to be made when the later addresses a tribal rally in favour of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in Udaipur on Wednesday. A BJP leader told Express that the meeting would be held on Friday and added the much-awaited announcement will came on the same day or a day after.
Meanwhile, RSS leader Ram Madhav on Tuesday set the ball rolling for Modi. Madhav said that the RSS had conveyed its choice to the BJP and now it was up to the party to take a call.
Setting the agenda before the party, Madhav said, “RSS’s job is not to convince the BJP, but to convey the nation’s mood to the party. We conveyed the public sentiment that is prevailing among people of country. Country wants a distinct change. Same thing became clear during the two-day confabulations (RSS-BJP meet). It has been conveyed to the party, and now it was up to the party to take a decision.”
On being asked if he was referring to Modi, he said, “The whole world knows who we are referring to.”
Modi will address similar rallies in other poll bound-states-- Madhya Pradesh, and Delhi on September 25 and 29 respectively.
During the same rally, BJP president Rajnath Singh, referring to the recent letter written by jailed IPS officer D G Vanzara, said, “Narendrabhai you are not alone, the entire BJP is with you, the nation is with you.”
During the Jaipur rally, the BJP also welcomed Olympic medallist shooter Rajyavardhan Rathore into the party fold, along with Diya Kumari, who belongs to a royal family in Rajasthan.
Also read: