Jairam Ramesh mocks BJP, calls it an 'acute case of premature celebration'

Union Minister hit out at Modi, saying that the BJP PM candidate should not venture into Congress's affairs

Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : May 06 2014 | 7:08 PM IST
Union Minister Jairam Ramesh today mocked BJP calling it "an acute case of premature celebration" and asked whether Narendra Modi would take sanyasa if Congress gets "significant three digits" in the Lok Sabha polls.

"In 2004 and in 2009 (Lok Sabha elections) they were celebrating. They lost. They are an acute case of premature celebration," he said, adding "Whether this is medically treatable.I don't know".

He was reacting to Modi's remark that a sub-100 tally for Congress will trigger threat to Gandhis' leadership.

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"We (Congress) will get a politically significant three- digit number, which will puncture BJP's balloon," Ramesh said.

The Union Minister hit out at Modi, saying that the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate should not venture into Congress's affairs and people in the party will determine who will lead it.

"Modi will not determine who will lead the Congress. Who will lead the Congress will be determined by the people of the Congress party.

"Modi's leadership is not even accepted within the BJP by his colleagues. And he is now trying to determine who the leader of the Congress party should be?" he said.

Amid talks of a Third Front, Ramesh said that no government is possible without the support of either the Congress or the BJP. He, however, steered clear of questions of the party supporting a Third Front government at the Centre after May 16.
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First Published: May 06 2014 | 6:55 PM IST

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