Leaders leaving since Cong works only for benefit of its 'first family': BJP's Dinesh Sharma

The BJP's Maharashtra election in charge Dinesh Sharma on Friday said leaders were leaving the Congress because that party's sole motive is the benefit of its ''first family''.

Speaking in Wardha, Sharma, a former Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister, said the nation was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's family, adding that citizens will vote overwhelmingly for him since the upcoming Lok Sabha polls is a ''battle between nationalists and opportunists''.

Sharma alluded to Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi's husband Robert Vadra reportedly seeking a Lok Sabha ticket and said, ''The welfare of the first family is the sole motive of the Congress. This is the reason leaders are leaving the Congress.'' Sharma claimed the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra was seeing seat sharing tussles because the alliance was formed by the Congress, NCP(SP) and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) for personal gains.