Janjivan Bureau / New Delhi: As the campaigning for the bitterly-fought high-stakes Lok Sabha elections officially ended on Friday evening, Congress president Rahul Gandhi conducted a press conference where he took jibe on PM Modi’s first ever press conference in five years at BJP office.
“PM Modi is doing a press conference, it is unprecedented. I am told the door of the room where PM Modi is addressing a press conference has been closed. I had told some journalists here to go and ask couple of questions from our side but believe they aren’t allowed” Rahul said.
“I am happy PM Modi is addressing the media along with Amit Shah. He’s taken the first step which is appreciable. But it doesn’t please me when he’s asked all informal questions while I am asked all the hard questions” he further added.
INC Chief later tweeted “Congratulations Modi Ji. Excellent Press Conference! Showing up is half the battle. Next time Mr Shah may even allow you to answer a couple of questions. Well done!”
While answering questions during the press conference, Rahul Gandhi also said that the Election Commission’s role in these polls has been biased. He said, “It has issued orders keeping in mind PM Modi’s schedule.”
During the press conference, Rahul Gandhi also thanked party workers for election campaign and said Congress’s role as an opposition party has been ‘A’ grade.
On opposition alliance, INC president said, “I have said it clearly, public will decide on May 23, and the basis of which we will work.”
BJP chief Amit Shah and Modi held a press conference at the party headquarters at the same time when Gandhi addressed the media. During the briefing, Modi said told reporters that he will not take any questions because the press conference is being addressed by Shah, and in BJP’s system, discipline has to be followed.
In West Bengal, campaigning in the last nine constituencies ended on Thursday night after the Election Commission cut short electioneering by a day in the wake of violence during BJP president Amit Shah’s roadshow on Tuesday.
The seventh and final phase will cover 13 seats in Uttar Pradesh; all 13 in Punjab, nine in West Bengal, eight each in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, all four constituencies in Himachal Pradesh, three in Jharkhand and the lone seat of Chandigarh. A total of 918 candidates are in the fray to test their destiny in the last phase.
While Modi led the NDA campaign assisted by his party president Amit Shah and other leaders, the Congress charge was led by Rahul Gandhi, aided by his sister Priyanka Gandhi and other leaders.
BSP Chief Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav came together to form a mahagathbandan (grand alliance) to take on the BJP juggernaut in Uttar Pradesh and held rallies in all regions of the politically-crucial Uttar Pradesh which has 80 seats in Lok Sabha.
Other regional parties tied up among themselves against BJP and NDA in several states.
