'Remember When Mr Vajpayee...': Rahul Confident Of INDIA Bloc Winning LS Polls, Cites NDA's ‘India Shining’ Campaign Of 2004

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that the upcoming Lok Sabha elections are between forces who are trying to destroy the Constitution and democracy and those protecting them.

New Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi expressed his belief that the upcoming election is much more competitive than what is being portrayed in the media. He is optimistic about Congress’s chances, drawing parallels to the unexpected outcome of the election during the ‘India Shining’ campaign era under former PM Vajpayee. Gandhi emphasized the importance of remembering past election results that defied popular expectations.

“While I don’t have the foresight of political analysts, I’m certain we’re facing a neck-and-neck battle. We’re poised to conduct a remarkable campaign and emerge victorious. It’s essential to recall the atmosphere created by the media back when ‘India Shining’ was the slogan, and yet, it was Congress that triumphed,” stated Gandhi.

#WATCH | Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says "...Unlike many political commentators, I cannot predict the future but what I am confident of is that this is a much closer election than is being propagated by the media. It is a close election and we are going to fight an excellent… pic.twitter.com/CxBZUNiCIo — ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2024

The Congress leader was addressing the media during the launch of party's election manifesto 'Nyay Patra' at AICC headquarters in Delhi. "...We need to understand the foundation of the strategy made by RSS, BJP and PM Modi. The way Adani has a monopoly in ports, infrastructure and defence, in the same way PM Modi has made a monopoly in political finance by using ED, CBI and Income Tax," Gandhi said.

He further stated that the INDIA coalition is engaged in an ideological battle and will decide on their Prime Ministerial candidate post-election. The multi-stage Lok Sabha elections are set to commence on April 19.

The Congress party’s manifesto, dubbed ‘Nyay Patra’, pledges a series of reforms including the right to apprenticeship, a statutory guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP), and a constitutional amendment to increase reservation quotas to 50% for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

Unveiled at the AICC headquarters with Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Sonia Gandhi in attendance, the manifesto emphasizes five ‘pillars of justice’ along with 25 specific commitments.

The party has vowed to address the staffing shortfall in the central government by filling approximately 30 lakh sanctioned vacancies across various levels.

Moreover, the Congress manifesto commits to the implementation of a 10% reservation in jobs and educational institutions for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) across all castes and communities, ensuring equitable opportunities should they ascend to power.