Will Modi be CM, asks Priyanka on BJP seeking votes in his name

SIKRAI (DAUSA): Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday criticized the BJP for not declaring its chief ministerial face for the assembly polls in Rajasthan. "BJP is contesting the state elections on the PM's face, so will (Narendra) Modi be the CM again," she asked, taking a dig at the PM and the saffron party.
She was addressing a large public meeting here as part of the Congress's awareness campaign on the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP).Priyanka said the BJP could not declare a chief ministerial candidate as there are several contenders in that party declaring themselves as the future CM, but the Congress stands united.
As a matter of fact, Congress has also not declared its CM face in Rajasthan, though Ashok Gehlot is in the chair at present. A day earlier, while addressing the press at AICC headquarters in New Delhi, Gehlot stated that in Congress it was good not to be projected as CM face since that person never gets the top post after the polls.
Talking about the welfare schemes of the Congress government, Priyanka asked, "When they (BJP) were in power, how many schemes did they launch in Rajasthan? It's clear that the focus of Modi and the BJP is not on your well-being, but on remaining in power and strengthening themselves."
'A real leader looks at present & future'
Sikrai (Dausa): She said PM Modi's promises are like his assurance on the ERCP, which remains unfulfilled. On the privatization of PSUs, she said: "It has become their policy to take money out of poor people's pockets and give it to big industrialists."
Priyanka said this reduced the scope for employment and sabotaged the reservation system. She alleged that the Modi government's policies of demonetization and GST have destroyed the small and medium enterprise, and exacerbated the job situation. People need to understand why BJP raises religion and caste issues instead of talking about development, she said, adding that unemployment is at a 45-year high but the government has introduced a scheme like Agniveer.
She said now youths have lost interest in joining the Army. "A real leader looks at the present and future; does not speak about the past," Priyanka said. The Congress general secretary alleged that BJP functionaries were working for their industrialist friends.
"PM Modi has funds to purchase aircraft and build a fancy parliament building but not to waive farm loans or continue with OPS (old pension scheme)," she said. Public welfare can only be achieved through politics that is based on service and compassion, she said while asking people to repeat the Congress government in Rajasthan. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, while addressing the gathering, said the assembly election is not just for Rajasthan, but the future of the entire country will be decided by it. "We will fight this election on our development plank. BJP says that only the party symbol 'lotus' is its face. Will this lotus make roads," he asked. Former DyCM Sachin Pilot exhorted the people to break the trend of changing government every five years. He said the Congress stands united while BJP plays politics of lie and deceit.