BJP DOWNPLAYS RAFALE ISSUE, ATTACKS CONG

The BJP state leadership sought to down play Rafale fallout on the remarks by French former president Francois Hollande but stepped up attack on the Congress, terming Rahul Gandhi speaking on corruption as “devil quoting scriptures.”

Rebutting the Congress leader S. Jaipal Reddy, who termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a medieval monarch, BJP leader G. Kishan Reddy on Saturday said that it was the Congress which has become synonymous with corruption and running a ghotala sarkar.

He said Mahakutami, “a hotchpotch alliance of irrelevant parties sewed up by Congress”, could never be a formidable force as it displayed early signs of instability with the outpouring dissent from its leaders. “Wait for seat allotments in the Congress and the Telugu Desam. It will be shredded into pieces,” he said.

He said the manifesto committee and election management committees were working on the list and once the election process starts, the party leadership would declare the names of the contestants.

Mr Kishan Reddy said Prime Minister Narendra Modi may campaign in Telangana but whether it is before the election notification or after that was not yet finalised.

The constituency and polling booth committees have been formed in 80 per cent of the constituencies and a door to door campaign would start shortly, Mr Reddy said.