BJP hiding report card from people by not talking about jobs, farmers: Pilot

Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on Saturday said the BJP was not talking about core issues like employment and farmers' problems during electioneering and was hiding the report card of its five-year-long performance from the people.

"The Congress ran a positive election campaign. We are focussing on investment, farmers' problems and jobs. The BJP, on the other hand, is not even uttering a word on these core issues. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP leaders do not even mention anything about jobs and farmers' issues," he told reporters here.

Pilot said that despite ruling the state for five years, the BJP did not tell to the people how many airports, universities, and hospitals were opened and did not give an account of how successful their programmes were.

"The cost of cooking gas cylinder has jumped to Rs 1,000 each. Petrol and diesel are also expensive. Instead of speaking about these issues, you are putting allegations on former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi, and UPA government," he said.

Pilot said: "You were voted to power at the Centre with a huge majority. Programmes such as Startup India, Standup India, Digital India, and Clean India were initiated during your tenure. People want to know about the government's performance so far as these programmes are concerned."

Accusing the BJP of misleading the people, Pilot said: "Its negative politics is being opposed by youth and farmers. In the last few months, political discourse has dipped to a new low where politicians are making controversial statements against each other."

Pilot said the number of people being benefitted under MGNREGA scheme in Rajasthan has increased from nine lakh to 31 lakh after the Congress formed the government in the state in December last year.

Accusing BJP of garnering votes in the name of armed forces, Pilot said: "The entire country respects the armed forces. Everyone knows that a befitting reply is given when our external or internal security comes under threat. BJP is just hiding its own failures by invoking armed forces repeatedly."

There are 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan. The polling in 13 constituencies was held on April 29. The remaining 12 Lok Sabha seats will go to polls on May 6. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.