Bilaspur: The huge crowds at Congress rallies and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s panic reaction clearly indicated that the BJP’s `jumlas’ were not working any longer and the party was facing imminent defeat in both Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said on Monday.
The people of India, including these two states, had seen through the `jumlas’ (fake promises) of Modi and his BJP, which had become synonymous with `jumblebaazi’ and could more aptly be dubbed as the Bharatiya Jumla Party, Captain Amarinder told mediapersons on the sidelines of campaign rallies on the second day of his Himachal tour as star campaigner for the Indian National Congress.
The way the prime minister was running around in sheer panic, from one remote village to another across Himachal Pradesh, clearly indicated that the BJP had realised the futility of its ambitions to wrest the state from the Congress, the Punjab Chief Minister earlier told rallies in Jhanduta (Bilaspur district) for Dr. Beeru-Ramkishore and Nalagarh for Lakhvinder Singh Rana.
Having failed to deliver on any of their poll promises in the past three years, the BJP was now resorting to desperate measures in the hope of reversing its misfortune in Himachal Pradesh and had roped in the prime minister to reach out to the voters, said Captain Amarinder, adding that even Narendra Modi could not save his party.
The same panic in the BJP was evident in Gujarat too, where Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was getting tremendous response at his rallies, said Captain Amarinder. If the Prime Minister has to address so many rallies in a state which he has led several times, it was obvious that there was something wrong with the BJP’s prospects there, he further noted, adding that a distinct wave was already visible in favour of Congress across the country.
No prime minister ever goes around addressing so many rallies in any state election, the Punjab Chief Minister pointed out, adding that Modi had no option given the total disillusionment of the people with his governance. The prime minister’s job is to make policies for the welfare of people but the Narendra Modi government has no concern for the people of India, he added.
Captain Amarinder lashed out at the Modi government’s ill-thought demonetisation and GST decisions, which had broken the backbone of the people. These decisions had adversely affected every section of the populace and had put the BJP on the back foot, he said.
Nobody was happy with these decisions, which the Modi government had taken without giving an iota of thought to the interests of the people, said Captain Amarinder, adding that the government should have taken into account all pros and cons before announcing demonetisation and GST implementation.
People of Himachal Pradesh, which has witnessed massive development under various Congress governments, including the incumbent Virbhadra Singh government, want only development and a secure future for their children. They want bridges, schools, colleges, universities, hospitals and jobs, they want industries, said Captain Amarinder, adding that only the Congress, with its people-centric policies, could ensure continued progress of the state. That, in fact, was the only reason for Virbhadra to contest this election, which he has already announced to be his last, Captain Amarinder told impressive crowds in both the constituencies.
The Punjab chief minister pointed out that Himachal Pradesh had always ranked high in the `State of the Nation’ report, which manifested its high level of development under the Congress leadership.
Citing close ties between the two states, the Punjab Chief Minister told the people of Himachal Pradesh that their future lay in the hands of the Congress, which alone could provide them with the basic necessities, as well as a clean and peaceful environment to live and progress. Recalling his own personal memories of the state, which he first visited at the age of 3, Captain Amarinder said he had seen exceptional progress over the years, with the various Congress governments showing great courage to develop the state’s rough terrain. He exhorted the people to bring their neighbours, friends and others from the remote villages of the state to vote for the Congress on Nov 9.
