Mathura, January 27 2019 —
Priyanka Gandhi was made party’s general secretary because the Congress president Rahul Gandhi has “flopped” in politics, said an Uttar Pradesh Cabinet minister Sunday.
UP Power Minister Srikant Sharma also asserted that induction of the party president’s sister would not be able to revive the Congress’ electoral fortunes.
Had Rahul not flopped, where was the need for bringing Priyanka? Sharma asked in reply to a reporter’s question on Priyanka Gandhi’s possible impact in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.
Priyanka Gandhi is not a new face in the Congress, she has been canvassing for the party in Amethi and Rae Bareli since 1998, the minister pointed out.
“Her induction in the party would not make any impact in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, he said.
Sharma said the elimination of Congress from SP-BSP alliance is a testimony to the fact that the party is at the lowest step in the state politics.
“The way Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working for for poor, labourers, peasants etc., it would be difficult to penetrate his fort,” said the minister.
Sharma also sought to downplay the importance of grand alliance among the anti-BJP parties, terming it as a “caucus of corrupt”.
Mahagathabandhan (grand alliance) is nothing but a caucus of corrupt people, made to protect themselves from being exposed. It has nothing to do for the poor, farmers, and labourers,” Sharma said, when asked about the prospects of the ‘mahagathabandhan’ in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The minister said it was “owing to the alertness of the chaukidar prime minister” that fugitive economic offenders like Nirav Modi and Vijay Malya were in the clutches of law.
It is because of Prime Minister Narndra Modi that the property worth Rs 4,800crore of Nirav Modi, who committed a fraud of Rs 13,000 crore has been seized, he said.
Similarly the property worth 6,000 crore of “Congress baby” Vijay Malya, who committed a fraud of Rs 9,000 crore has been confiscated so far, he added.
Sharma alleged that during the UPA regime between 2008 and 2114, a total of Rs 34 lakh crore of loan was sanctioned to Rahul Gandhi’s favourites, including Vijai Malya and Nirav Modi, while the total loan sanctioned in 60 years since independence till 2008 was only Rs 18 lakh crore.
The banks were pressurised to reopen the freezed accounts of defaulter Vijai Malya at the behest of Rahul Gandhi, he alleged.
Talking about the ongoing capacity building of the UP Power Department, the minister said his department is continuously working to improve its capacity to supply requisite power to each district of the state.
The minister earlier on Friday had laid down the foundation stone for a 220 KV-capacity new transmission sub-station on Jait Bhartiya Road under Vrindaban police station.
In order to provide better power supply in Mathura, the works involving investment of Rs 1,514.67 crore are in progress, he said, adding 70 percent of this amount has already been spent on strengthening the power system in the district.