BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma alleges Congress of using minorities as vote banks

Senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma alleged on Monday that Congress leaders were contesting from "safe seats" where religious minorities are in huge number, a day after the grand old party announced that Rahul Gandhi would contest from Wayanad in Kerala. Sarma claimed that Gandhi was heading for a sure defeat against Union minister Smriti Irani in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, which the Congress chief is also contesting,

"Nowadays, Congress leaders look for safe seats. Safe seat means where the number of minority people is huge. Congress leaders take shelter in such seats," Sarma said at a press conference here. "Rahul Gandhi has taken shelter in Kerala," Sarma said, pointing out that former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi's son, Gaurav Gogoi, had done the same thing by contesting from Kaliabor.

"That means they take shelter in those places where religious minorities are more. It implies that they consider the religious minority people as a vote bank," the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said. The Assam finance minister appealed to the minorities to not allow themselves to be "used as vote bank" and raise their voices for their rights.

"By contesting in two seats, it is proved that Rahul Gandhi will lose to Smriti Irani," the convener of the BJP-led North-East Democratic Alliance added. Earlier, a few local Congress leaders joined the saffron party in presence of Sarma.

In a bid to improve the Congress' position in south India, party president Rahul Gandhi will contest from Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala, besides his traditional stronghold of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.