Opportunity for people to defeat BJP and end price rise, unemployment: Cong on assembly polls

After the Election Commission announced the schedule for assembly polls in five states, the Congress on Saturday said this is an opportunity for people to defeat the BJP and put an end to unemployment, price rise and atrocities against women and Dalits and ensure justice for farmers.

Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the party will fight strongly the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and Punjab, to be held between February 10 and March 7.

He expressed confidence that the party will again win in Punjab and oust the BJP from power in the remaining four states.

He said the Congress welcomed the poll panel's decision to disallow rallies in view of the pandemic, but hoped that street-corner meetings would be allowed as these were very effective in reaching out to voters following COVID-19 protocols.

He also alleged that during the first and second waves of the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rallies had a big and negative contribution in the spread of the virus.

The Congress leader also urged the EC to take strong action against the spread of hatred and put an end to hate speeches during these elections, besides ensuring a level-playing field.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, ''March 10 will herald the victory of UP's youth, farmers, women, workers, traders and common people.'' ''In these elections, the Congress party will fight for the rights of youth, farmers, women, workers, traders and common people. UP will fight and will win,'' she said in a tweet in Hindi.

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said, ''Congress Party is confident of performing well and winning all five states that are going to elections.'' ''India has sky-high inflation, record unemployment and societal hate is growing. The voters of these five states, especially youth and women, will teach BJP a befitting lesson,'' he said.

Surjewala said that Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi will be the face of the Congress in Punjab polls and so will be Navjot Singh Sidhu who represents the party organisation. ''This one-plus-one duo will go to polls, along with lakhs of Congress workers, who will win these elections.'' He also criticised the prime minister and the BJP for making the ''security lapse'' a poll issue and asked, ''Why is the prime minister fearing farmers. Can there be any danger to the prime minister from the country's farmers? Only the BJP and the PM are saying there is a threat to him from farmers. This is an insult to 62 crore farmers of the country.'' The prime minister should stop defaming the farmers and Punjabis, he said.

Welcoming the Election Commission announcement of the poll schedule, Surjewala said this is an opportunity for the people of these states to defeat the BJP and those forces which are anti-farmer.

He said the people would vote out the BJP to put an end to price rise, atrocities and rising crime against women and Dalits.

''Every Congress worker and leader will contest these elections in five states and will defeat the BJP governments in four states and will retain the Congress government in Punjab,'' he told reporters.

''This is a chance to defeat the BJP as well as price rise and inflation. Farmers also have a chance to punish those who retained a union minister despite his and his son's involvement in the mowing down of farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri.

''The youth also have a chance to defeat the BJP and unemployment. Defeat the BJP and unemployment with ''vote ki chot''. Our women also have a chance to defeat the BJP over the atrocities and rising crime against women. Dalits also have a chance in these five states to get themselves freed from the atrocities on Dalits under BJP rule,'' he said.

Surjewala said these elections offer a golden opportunity for defeating inflation, rising unemployment, rising crime against women and atrocities against Dalits and those who have an anti-farmer mindset.

''The double-engine governments in UP, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand have proved a double failure,'' he said.

The Congress leader also said that this is a golden opportunity to defeat the BJP and help farmers get justice, defeat unemployment and help the youth.

''The people should defeat those forces which looted them with their 'vote ki chot','' he said.

Asked whether the Congress would go for any alliance with the TMC in Goa, he said, the party only has an alliance with Vijay Sardesai's Goa Forward party and if anyone wants to support the Congress with an aim to defeat the BJP they are welcome to support the Congress.

He said this is a fight to defeat the BJP which has looted the resources of Goa and has decimated its harmonious culture.

''If anybody wants to support the Congress party in its quest and commitment to defeat the BJP is welcome,'' he said.

Surjewala also hit out at the TMC saying some opposition parties have joined the contest at the last minute, but every party and voter will have to decide whether they are giving cover fire to the BJP and are contesting elections to divide Congress votes.

''I want to leave this to the wisdom of the voters,'' he said.

In Uttar Pradesh, he said, the Congress will emerge as a very important force as Priyanka Gandhi has run a great campaign connecting with the people.