Bengaluru: Rajasthan State could witness a 2004 like scenario after Lok Sabha elections when Congress rode back to power said Deputy CM Sachin Pilot in Bengaluru yesterday.
Addressing an event organized in Bengaluru at “The Huddle,” a thought conclave held by -The Hindu, Sachin Pilot said: “Most certainly, the Congress can ride back to power as it did in 2004 after being out of power for eight years,” he said, NDTV reports.
“There is no way that the BJP will be able to hold on to some 100 seats in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh because the performance of their state and central governments is far from satisfactory.”
Recalling history that the late PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee lost by just one, he said Indian politics is highly unpredictable.
“Likewise, nobody thought that the Congress would come back and form the government in 2004,” he added.
Politicians in India always tend to misread and underestimate the power of voters he said, adding, “As many as 130 crore people have been watching for the last four years and have been asking questions and getting no answers. It won’t be surprising if the mighty BJP has a fantastic fall.”
Ruling BJP party is silent on important issues like food prices and national security while it only talks on mandir-masjid, ghar wapsi and love jihad.
“There is a deliberate and conscious effort in the last four years to devalue institutions. It will have far reaching consequences,” he said.
Even before Priyanka officially took charge in party’s responsibilities, insecurities have been boiling within the ruling party answered Mr. Pilot to a question whether Priyanka Gandhi’s official entry would be a game changer.
“She is just the general secretary of the Congress, not a Chief Minister or Governor. Why is it causing so much heartburn for the BJP? The political uncertainty it has caused is telling me that they have a reason to fear,” he said.
“Uttar Pradesh is very critical in the next Lok Sabha elections as it has 80 seats, but the narrative needs to change,” he said.
“People are willing to give the mandate to the Congress. We will do well, much better than the other parties,” Mr Pilot assured.
“There has been no Prime Minister from the Gandhi family for the past 35 years, so it is wrong to say Rahul Gandhi is doing this to become one. Congress has an equal presence in both northern and southern India,” he said.