Congress should drop Rahul as PM candidate, says Gujarat BJP chief

Ahmedabad: With the BJP set to emerge as the single largest party in Karnataka, Gujarat BJP president Jitu Vaghani today advised the Congress to replace Rahul Gandhi as its prime ministerial face.

Describing today's Assembly poll results in the southern state as an endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development agenda, Vaghani said the Congress should introspect as to why it didn't get the mandate for a second term.

"The results show that people have rejected the Congress for its negative and divisive politics. I urge Gujarat as well as other state units of the Congress to cut off their ties with Rahul Gandhi. Otherwise the party will lose the remaining respect too," Vaghani said, speaking to reporters in Gandhinagar.

"Rahul Gandhi declared himself as the PM candidate for 2019. I urge the Congress to replace him with someone who can match Modi's charisma....This PM candidate will fail completely against Modi," Vaghani said, holding a press conference with Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani at the BJP headquarters here.

The BJP leader exuded confidence that the saffron party will retain power in the Lok Sabha elections.

"People of Karnataka have rejected the Congress...This result is the reflection of (what would happen in) 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The BJP will surely win that election under Modi's leadership," said chief minister Rupani.

"Though the Congress tried to win the polls through divisive tactics, I am grateful to the people of Karnataka for rejecting it," Rupani added.