Cong afraid of Modi, resorting to 'tantra-mantra': BJP

The Uttarakhand unit of BJP Wednesday said the Congress was resorting to "tantra-mantra" as the party has failed to "corner Prime Minister Narendra Modi in every other way". The remark came a day after former chief minister Harish Rawat reportedly claimed in Haldwani that Modi would lose if Priyanka Gandhi contested against him as his horoscope had "kalsarpa yog", which meant he would ultimately face defeat at the hands of a woman.

"Having failed to corner Modi in every other way, the Congress is now resorting to tantra-mantra (superstition)," Uttarakhand BJP media chief Devendra Bhasin said Wednesday. Bhasin said Rawat's statements reflect the Congress' deep-seated fear of Modi and the party's desperation to grab power.

"It only shows Congress' desperation in the face of certain defeat," he added. Bhasin claimed that people were with Modi and he is all set to helm the country's affairs for the next five years.