PM Modi focussed on 'agenda of emotions': Gehlot

The in-charge for Congress party affairs in politically-crucial Gujarat, Ashok Gehlot, on Tuesday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's poll campaign, saying the latter was more focussed on the 'agenda of emotions' rather than that of development in view of the recently-concluded Gujarat assembly elections.

"During the campaign rally, Prime Minister Modi's development agenda ended and the 'agenda of emotions' was set off by saying things like I am the son of Gujarat and so forth," Gehlot told ANI.

He added that Congress President Rahul Gandhi tried to bring out the development agenda, but it was diverted.

When asked if sidelined party leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's remark was the reason behind Congress losing in Gujarat, Gehlot said, "Yes, it was a setback for the Congress party."

"Mani Shankar's statement was a bad thing for us, but we did damage control and we did an investigation. He shouldn't have said that," he added.

However, Gehlot said the way BJP used Aiyar's statement and amalgamated it with caste was not needed.

In Gujarat, the BJP continued its winning streak by bagging 99 out of 182 seats in the state assembly while, in Himachal Pradesh, the party overthrew Congress from the government by claiming 44 out of 68 seats.