Had Priyanka contested from Varanasi, PM would have lost by 3L votes: Rahul Gandhi

RAEBARELI: Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi today said that had her sister Priyanka Gandhi contested from Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi would have lost by three lakh votes.

“If Priyanka Gandhi had contested from Varanasi, the Prime Minister would have lost by about three lakh votes,” Rahul said.

Addressing a largely attended thanksgiving public meeting here today, Rahul Gandhi said the people of Uttar Pradesh had conveyed a strong message that they were against the politics of hatred and violence and also against the attempts of the BJP to replace the Constitution.

The former Congress president also congratulated the people for making Prime Minister Narendra Modi affirm his faith in the country’s constitution, which otherwise, he was trying to replace. Referring to Modi’s picture bowing before the constitution, he said, credit for this change goes to the people of Uttar Pradesh.

Rahul Gandhi observed that this election had conveyed multiple messages. He said they made it clear that they were against the politics of hatred and violence, which was being openly preached by Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

He pointed out that the BJP was even defeated by Ayodhya. He said the BJP did not even let President Droupadi Murmu enter the Ram Temple because she was an Adivasi. He said no poor, farmer, Dalit, or any OBC was seen in the temple as it was only people like Ambani, Adani, film, and cricket stars who were at the inauguration.

Rahul Gandhi also said that people were fed up with unemployment and rising prices. Besides, he added, it was for the first time a government was working only for a few billionaires like Ambanis and Adanis and people sent a clear message that they did not like such kind of politics.

Rahul Gandhi cautioned the Congressmen including the MPs, MLAs, leaders, and workers that they must not fall prey to arrogance. He said, their job had not ended with the resounding victories but had just begun. He told the workers and leaders that wherever the BJP will try to spread hatred and violence, the Congress workers and leaders have to preach and spread love and harmony.

The senior Congress leader had special praise for the workers of the Samajwadi Party and other INDIA bloc partners. He said, it was for the first time that the alliance partners had worked together with full commitment and dedication towards each other and that is the reason it performed extraordinarily well everywhere in the country whether in Uttar Pradesh or Tamil Nadu.

He assured the people of the country that the INDIA bloc would ensure that the main issues concerning them like unemployment, inflation, and those related to farmers and laborers would be focused everywhere.

He also said that the INDIA bloc would try to ensure that even while being in the Opposition, the Agnipath scheme would be scrapped.

Speaking on the occasion, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, who personally handled both Raebareli and Amethi, expressed her profound gratitude to the party workers and leaders. She said all of them worked against all odds and still scored emphatic victories at both places.

She had special praise for the Samajwadi Party workers and leaders, who worked along with the Congress workers with full zeal, commitment, and dedication. She said, without them such victory would not have been possible.

Those present on the occasion included KC Venugopal, Avinash Pande, Ajay Rai, KL Sharma, Pramod Tewari, and others.