Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was staying away from campaigning in Himachal Pradesh to avoid taking responsibility for the party’s defeat in the upcoming elections.
"Where is Rahul Gandhi, where is he missing? He is on a (Bharat Jodo) Yatra, but why such indifference with Himachal. Congress' entire leadership, by that I mean effective leadership, why they have such indifference towards Himachal,” Prasad said in a press conference.
"Poll campaigning will end in a day or two, but neither Rahul, nor his mother (Sonia Gandhi) were seen here," he said. Prasad said that Rahul Gandhi is scared of losing the election hence preventing the loss of face by not turning up in the state.
"But why is Rahul Gandhi not campaigning in Himachal, we want to ask. Is Congress party scared of a loss? And there are reasons for that, bylections were held in seven assembly constituencies in six states and BJP contested on six seats and won four. Congress did not win even one seat and also lost security deposit," he said.
"In Telangana, from where Rahul Gandhi's Yatra is entering Maharashtra, in the byelection (Munugode in Telangana), Congress candidate loses security deposit. So, the clear reason for Rahul Gandhi not coming to Himachal for campaigning is to avoid having to take responsibility for the loss in HP elections," he said.
"Win and loss are part of elections. Their leaders will come on a retreat in Himachal, but when it comes to connecting with people as part of a political process, then they will stay away, what kind of politics is this?" Prasad asked.
"So, I clearly believe that Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi are not coming because they understand what the result is going to be," he added. Himachal Pradesh goes to polls on November 12.
Congress is eyeing to wrest power from ruling BJP, which claims that people will vote them back on the basis of all-round development they have carried out.
(With PTI Inputs)
