Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], April 23 : Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao on Tuesday compared Congress' politics to the British Divide and rule policy and stated that Congress party has shown fear, spread confusion and has gotten votes in the country.
In an exclusively with ANI, Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao said, "Congress party's appeasement politics is not going to run and I would also say that the way the Britishers used to implement the policy of divide and rule, Congress party has shown fear, spread confusion and got votes, this is the politics that has been done in this country. Now people of the country have understood and that's why Congress is moving towards its end. Congress has now become irrelevant and in the coming days Congress will not be able to make leader of the opposition."
Commenting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Rajasthan poll speech Arun Sao said, "Every time Congress has done politics of appeasement, vote bank and then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh did say that minorities will have the first right to try country's resources. So now that minority has the right then where will our Adivasi brothers and sisters will go? Where will our Scheduled Castes (SCs) people will go? What will happen to other backward-class people? What will happen to females, youth?".
On polling to be held on 26th April in Chhattisgarh, Sao said, "In the last 10 years, Narendra Modi has done the work of bringing change in people's lives and the expectations that people had, he has fulfilled that as well. In the last 100 days, the BJP state government has fulfilled Modi's guarantee, because of that there is an atmosphere of excitement amongst the people of Chhattisgarh and they are ready to make BJP win."
Talking about one of the high profile seats Rajnandgaon, from where the former chief minister Bhupesh Bhagel will contest against the BJP MP Santosh Pandey, Sao expressed confidence in his party stating that 3 months back, the people of Chhattisgarh rejected Bhupesh Baghel and his work in the last 5 years.
"As far as Rajnandgaon's seat is concerned, 3 months back, the people of Chhattisgarh rejected Bhupesh Baghel and his work in the last 5 years. Scams were done. Many people are in jail, many have FIRs against them too," Sao said.
"Bhupesh Baghel has done injustice to Rajnandgain when he was the chief minister. There has been a history in Rajnandgain that many big leaders were defeated by the BJP. Leaders like Motilal Voha and that is why the BJP is going to easily win in Rajnandgaon. Our candidate Santosh Pandey will win from there," Sao added.
Rajnandgaon is a Lok Sabha constituency in Chhattisgarh which covers Pandariya, Kawardha, Khairagarh, Dongargarh, Rajnandgaon Dongargao, Khujji Mohla-Manpur.
In this Lok Sabha from the Mahasamund constituency, Roop Kumari Chaudhary (BJP) and Tamradhwaj Sahu (Congress) are contesting against each other.
"If we talk about Mahasamund, Tamradhwaj Sahu who has been the state's home minister is the candidate there from Congress. The people of Durg Rural Assembly defeated him in the elections and now he is the candidate from Mahasamund. Mahasamund Lok Sabha has traditionally been a BJP seat and that's why BJP will certainly win Mahasamind Lok Sabha seat," Sao added.
Mahasamund is a Lok Sabha parliamentary constituency in Chhattisgarh that covers Saraipali, Basna, Khallari, Mahasamund, Rajim, Bindrawagarh, Kurud and Dhamtari.
This year from the Kanker constituency, Bhojraj Nag (BJP) and Biresh Thakur (Congress) are contesting against each other.
"As far as Kanker is concerned, in the last 5 years the Congress government neglected Bastar, exploited Bastar, and tried to loot Bastar and now that the people of Kanker and Bastar are worried, our government is fighting against Naxalism with full force. Our security forces are working continuously and hence people of Kanker feel that in the coming times, there will be prosperity, peace will prevail and progress will be made," Sao further said.
Kanker is a Lok Sabha parliamentary constituency in Chhattisgarh which covers Sihawa, Sanjari Balod, Dondi Lohara, Gunderdehi, Antagarh, Bhanupratappur, Kanker and Keshkal.
"BJP is going to win the three Lok Sabha seats of the second phase, Rajnandgaon, Mahasamund and Kanke," Sao said with confidence.
When asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claiming BJP won't win more than 150 seats in Lok Sabha elections, Sao said, ''There is no need to take Rahul Gandhi's words seriously. He has mastery in telling lies, spreading confusion and spreading rumours. Today, his party people don't take his words seriously. Today, in Chhattisgarh, there is a stampede in the Congress party."
"Every day Congress leaders are leaving the Congress party and joining the BJP. They can't even manage their party. Today if people have trust in anyone, it's Modi ji and BJP," he added.
On Congress leader Sachin Pilot's 'South se Saaf, North se Half' remark Sao stated, ''While making such a statement, if Sachin Pilot had also told the status of his party, where is Congress. He should've also told the plight of the country's oldest political party. Congress is moving towards its end.
"BJP will form the government for the third time. The slogan of '400 paar' has become the slogan of people and people themselves are coming forward to work for Narendra Modi and it is certain to get more than 400 seats," he added.
Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao further spoke about the political dynamics.
"Till now, no matter how adverse the circumstances have been in Chhattisgarh, we have been winning 8 to 10 seats since 1996. The last time State assembly elections were held, the Congress party won 68 seats and formed the government and after 3 months when Lok Sabha elections were done, the BJP won 9 Lok Sabha seats out of 11. Now, we have our government in Chhattisgarh. Modi's guarantees have been fulfilled. There is attraction towards Modi and hence BJP will certainly win all 11 Lok Sabha seats," Sao said.
The BJP in Chhattisgarh, won 9 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha, while the Indian National Congress (INC) was limited to only 2 seats. The rest of the seats in the state will vote on April 26 and May 7. The counting of votes will be done on June 4.