Congress will come to power in Punjab, U’khand, Goa, Manipur: Surjewala

Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala has said that the party is confident of sweeping the upcoming assembly polls in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur while asserting that the Congress will play a key role in government formation in Uttar Pradesh.

The Election Commission of India on Saturday announced that polls will be held in the five states in seven phases from February 10 to March 7.

Addressing the media, Surjewala said that even though the dates for the polls have been decided now, the results were decided long ago.

Stating how the prices of petrol and diesel, cooking oil, cooking gas and that of pulses and commodities have shot through the roof during the BJP’s regime, Surjewala said now is the chance for the people to get rid of this inflation by defeating the BJP.

“Every worker and every leader of the Congress party will fight these elections strongly in all the five states and will thwart the Bharatiya Janata Party governments in four states and will once again hoist the Congress flag in Punjab. A golden opportunity has now come to the people of the five states. Defeat BJP and inflation,” ANI quoted him as saying.

Stating that the BJP was least concerned about the farmers, Surjewala accused the BJP of conspiring to sell the country’s farm economy to capitalists.

“BJP had formed an illegitimate government by insulting the majority. People in Goa are looking towards the Congress party by rising above the division of caste and religion to remove the corrupt BJP government,” he said.

Pointing to the change in chief ministers in Uttarakhand, where the BJP is in power, in July last year, Surjewala said the situation was proof that the party was on shaky ground in the hill state and it is time for the Congress to come to power in the “Devbhoomi of Uttarakhand”.

Even though, the Congress spokesperson did not show an equal measure of confidence in the party’s prospects in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, he said the organisation, however, has picked up new momentum in the BJP-ruled state of late and is showing promises for the way forward.

“The political truth is that we have not been able to come to power in Uttar Pradesh for almost three decades and the Congress organisation has got a new momentum and strength at the grassroots level under the leadership of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who is the general secretary-in-charge of Uttar Pradesh,” he said.

“In Uttar Pradesh, under the leadership of Priyanka Gandhi, we have brought a unique convention of our daughters, girls, youth, farmers, and a new agenda of progress and inclusive development. The way we have been fighting for the people, we will emerge as one of the most important political party. Uttar Pradesh will now be made Uttam Pradesh,” he added.