NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday took a swipe at the Congress over the ongoing political crisis in Rajasthan and said it should first take out a 'Congress Jodo Yatra' instead of continuing with its 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led party also ridiculed Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and senior leader Sachin Pilot over the ongoing political drama, saying the two Congress leaders in their "struggle for power" have made "a mockery" of the people's mandate.
"On one hand, the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' of Congress is in progress, and on the other, the MLAs of the party in Rajasthan are running 'Vidhayak Todo Karyakram' (programme to divide legislators)," AAP's election in-charge for Rajasthan Vinay Mishra told PTI.
"Instead of 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', the Congress should first take out 'Congress Jodo Yatra' (a march to bring unity in party)," he added.
In their struggle for power, the Rajasthan chief minister and Sachin Pilot have made a mockery of the mandate that the people of the state gave to their party, the AAP leader charged.
"The entire country is laughing at them," he added.
Referring to the development in Rajasthan, AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha also sought to position the Kejriwal-led party as the principal challenger to the BJP in the run-up to assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.
"The Congress is on a ventilator and it will take its last breath very soon. The party is in self-destruction mode," Chadha told reporters when asked for his comments.
The AAP MP claimed that all the units of the Congress are lying "completely scattered in every state".
"Its big leaders are running Congress Chodo Abhiyan (Quit Congress drive). Elections are due in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. But, Rahul Gandhi is taking out 'Bhara Jodo Yatra' in Kerala-Tamil Nadu," he added.
The AAP MP said the Congress is "completely detached" from the ground reality and the entire country is looking for an "alternative".
"The Congress does not have the required strength and capacity left with it to take on the BJP, which is a well-oiled election machine today," he said.
"Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi Chief Minister) and the AAP are filling up the vacuum created by the Congress in the country's opposition politics," he added.
The Congress in Rajasthan plunged into a crisis on Sunday as several MLAs loyal to Gehlot resigned over a possible move to appoint Sachin Pilot as Gehlot's successor, their rebellion erupting just ahead of a Congress Legislature Party meeting.
The political drama continued on Monday with MLAs loyal to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot remaining non-committal on holding a meeting with Congress observers.
Sachin Pilot, who is seen to be the main contender for the chief minister's post if Gehlot is elected the party's national president, also left for New Delhi to meet the high command.
Congress's chief whip in the Rajasthan Assembly Mahesh Joshi on Monday said the party MLAs have no objection to whoever is made the chief minister, but the final decision of the high-command should be agreeable to them.