Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has fired back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remark that Congress is poised to be "wiped out" in Uttar Pradesh, asking if he is an astrologer.
“I am not an astrologer. If he (PM Modi) is, then tell me,” Priyanka Gandhi told India Today.
This comes after Modi expressed confidence in BJP's strong performance in the elections, claiming that Congress won't even "be able to make a mark."
"We [BJP] are moving forward with the aim of winning more than 400 seats in the upcoming elections” and “the Congress won't even be able to make a mark," PM Modi said earlier in the day.
The Prime Minister added, “the people of Uttar Pradesh cannot accept 'parivarvaad' (dynasty politics) and they have seen an alternate model which has changed their lives.”
In her response, Priyanka urged voters to critically evaluate the work of both parties before making their decision.
“First, see what you [BJP] have done in states where your government rules. Then understand what our government [Congress] is doing. And then, considering all this, cast your vote with discretion,” Priyanka Gandhi said.
“There is a need to save democracy from those who talk about changing the Constitution,” she added.
Priyanka also expressed concern about preserving democracy against those who speak of changing the Constitution. Aiming her remarks at the Lok Sabha battle in Raebareli and Amethi, where her brother Rahul Gandhi and Kishori Lal Sharma of Congress will face BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh and Union Minister Smriti Irani, she confidently predicted a Congress win in both seats.
“The Congress’s bond with the people of Amethi and Rae Bareli is very deep and goes beyond politics. In every meeting, this feeling overflows from the depths of the heart,” she said.
Priyanka alleged that Irani's recent visit to Amethi was purely for political gain, doubting her opponent's connection to the place.
"For what purpose did Smriti Irani come here? She had only one agenda: political gain. What else does she have to do with this place? It will take them 40 years to establish a genuine connection here. They need to work hard," she mocked.
She referred to the strong bond that Congress has developed with Amethi and Raebareli's population, which she said transcends politics, and the confidence in her party's position in the run-up to the elections.