Congress to project Rahul Gandhi as PM candidate in 2019 polls: Rajeev Gowda

Rajya Sabha member MV Rajeev Gowda said the Congress has been rejuvenated with the outcome of Gujarat elections and the recent by-polls in Rajasthan.

Congress spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member MV Rajeev Gowda on Monday said that his party would project Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial candidate in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Rahul Gandhi meets Congress supporters during a public rally on his way to Belagavi district, in Karnataka. (PTI File Photo)

Gowda and AICC research wing coordinator Amol Deshmukh interacted with professionals, representatives of industry and civil society for over two hours in Nagpur on Monday and claimed that the Congress, with the help of its UPA allies, would regain power in the general elections. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress had not formally projected any PM candidate.

“The people are fed up with jumlebaji of Narendra Modi government. It miserably failed to fulfil the election promises. The government failed on all fronts, particularly in creating new jobs and corruption is at its peak under the Modi government,” Gowda alleged.

Gowda termed the Rafale defence deal as one of the biggest scams of the country and appealed to the PM to clarify his position on the issue and come clean.

Reacting to Gowda’s claims, state BJP spokesperson and legislator Girish Vyas said, “The Congress and particularly its president Rahul Gandhi is raising the issue to divert the pro-people works of PM Modi, including Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, introduction of GST, the biggest tax revolution, special focus on rural areas, distribution of gas cylinder to poorer section of people, etc.”

Gowda said the Congress has been rejuvenated with the outcome of Gujarat elections and the recent by-polls, particularly in Rajasthan. This has brought a new hope among the rank and file of the party, he added.

“We are touring the country and taking feedback and suggestions from a cross-section of society so that the people’s concerns are addressed and raised by the party in the coming elections,” he said.