LS poll battle will be PM Modi, welfare vs opportunistic, power hungry leaders: BJP

The BJP on Friday said the 2019 Lok Sabha polls will be a battle between Prime Minister Narendra Modi's five-year tenure of poor, youth and women-centric welfare against opportunistic and power-hungry leaders.

BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav said, "The 2019 polls will be a battle where you have Modi ji and his five-year tenure of development for poor, women, SC/ST community and youth against a gathering of opportunistic, selfish and power-hungry leaders. I believe people of the country will support Modi ji once again".

He further dubbed Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's political debut a mere "formality".

"It is only a formality, she has made her entry into politics several times. She did full-fledged campaigning for Uttar Pradesh polls, she has campaigned on previous occasions as well. Priyanka ji is active in politics for several years, the entire country knows very well what she has and has not been able to do," Madhav said.

Priyanka, who was officially appointed as AICC General Secretary for eastern Uttar Pradesh on January 24, is expected to take charge of her responsibility with effect from February first week.

He evaded questions on whether he thinks she will be the "face" of the party, saying that it is a matter up to senior Congress leadership to decide.

When asked about the apparent tensions with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Madhav said: "We hold no ill feelings for anyone, Mamata Banerjee is angry with us. She strives to stifle our normal political activities and whatever rallies we conduct, despite all the pressure, we are getting great support from the crowds, seeing this angers Mamata ji very much. So she is trying to stop those rallies. I fully believe that in West Bengal, the people will oust Mamata Banerjee and will support us fully".

The BJP had earlier alleged that the TMC government in West Bengal tried to obstruct party president Amit Shah's rally in Jhargram amid reports that Shah's chopper was not allowed to land in the district. The government approved the chopper to land at the nearby helipad on January 23.

In December last year, the BJP's proposed Rath Yatra was refused permission by the state government citing intelligence reports of possible communal violence.