BJP's popularity has declined, will be no surprise if it loses 2019 elections: Gehlot

Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Monday said the popularity graph of the Narendra Modi government has fallen and it will not be a surprise if the BJP faces a drubbing in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

He was speaking at a press conference at his residence here.

"Only two faces are ruling the countrythose of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. But it will not be a surprise if they are trounced (in the 2019 general) elections," the former Rajasthan chief minister said.

He said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also knows well that it will lose the upcoming Assembly elections in Rajasthan, which is why party president Amit Shah is using Modi's name and not chief minister Vasundhara Raje's to seek votes.

"They (BJP) have understood that seeking votes in the name of Vasundhara Raje will only lead to defeat. Therefore they are seeking votes in the name of Modi. But that time has passed, the (popularity) graph (of the Modi government) has rapidly come down," Gehlot said.

"What Amit Shah and Vasundhara Raje are saying is a bundle of lies and people know it," he added.

The Congress leader also demanded answers from the BJP on the Rafale fighter jets deal and on the huge rise in the turnover of the company of Shah's son.

"They are not replying (to questions) about the Rafale deal and rather pushing forward IAF officers (for statements). They should also respond on the matter of (assets of company of) Amit Shah's son," he said.

Speaking about the proposed 'mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) of opposition parties to stop the juggernaut of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, Gehlot said it was necessary that all of them come on one platform.