(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) In a joint press conference with Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of the Samajwadi Party and an ally of the INDIA bloc, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday made a bold prediction about the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He stated that due to a significant shift in public sentiment favouring the opposition, particularly the INDIA bloc, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would likely secure only around 150 seats in the parliament. Gandhi initially anticipated the BJP to clinch approximately 180 seats but revised his estimate based on emerging trends.
“There is a strong undercurrent in favour of the opposition INDIA Bloc in the Lok Sabha elections. I do not do prediction of seats. Around 15-20 days ago, I was thinking BJP would win around 180 seats but now I think they will get 150 seats. We are getting reports from every state that we are improving. We have a very strong alliance in Uttar Pradesh and we will perform very well,” Rahul Gandhi said.
Yadav said the winds of change will start blowing from Ghaziabad in western Uttar Pradesh to Ghazipur and the BJP will be given a grand farewell in the Lok Sabha elections.
"We have to ensure that not a single vote is divided in the Lok Sabha polls," the SP leader said.
Following this bold prediction from Rahul Gandhi, several social media users slammed the Congress leader, with one user on X saying, "Yet Rahul Gandhi wont get even 150 LS seats over 3 elections in the same period."
Another user on X quipped, "I think he is always talking to his inner self."
"I won't talk abt seats but bjp will get 150 SEATS. This guys doesn't disappoint you," remarked a third user.
A fourth user said, "I think Pappu means BJP will not get 150 out of 543 seats which they will leave for others. Because he is brilliant like Einstein there is always deeper meaning."
During the press conference,
Rahul Gandhi also alleged the electoral bonds scheme was the biggest "extortion scheme" in the world and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the "champion of corruption".
Gandhi criticized the now-scrapped electoral bonds, questioning the prime minister's assertion that the scheme aimed to enhance transparency in poll funding, given its subsequent striking down by the Supreme Court.
"The electoral bonds scheme is the biggest extortion scheme in the world. India's businessmen know it very well. No matter how much the prime minister clarifies, it will have no impact because the entire nation knows that the prime minister is the champion of corruption," Gandhi said.
While addressing a question about contesting from Amethi in the polls, Rahul Gandhi clarified that he will abide by the party's decision. Amethi used to be a Congress stronghold till 2019, when BJP's Smriti Irani defeated the Gandhi scion by 55,120 votes.
Rahul Gandhi also alleged that the "BJP wants to destroy the constitution", adding that the upcoming elections is an 'election of ideology'.
"First of all, I would like to wish everyone on the occasion of Ram Navami. The upcoming election is an election of ideology. On one side is RSS and BJP who are trying to do away with the Constitution. While on the other hand, the Congress party is trying to defend the Constitution," the former Congress President said.
In the politically significant state of Uttar Pradesh, the SP and Congress have formed an alliance to contest the Lok Sabha polls. Congress is fielding candidates on 17 seats, while the SP and other allied parties are contesting the remaining 63 seats. Uttar Pradesh, with 80 Lok Sabha seats, holds immense electoral importance. The seven-phase Lok Sabha polls are scheduled to commence on April 19, with the counting of votes set for June 4.
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