Modi represents dangerous ideology: Rahul

• Congress hoping against hope that poll predictions will be proved wrong
• In 2004 and 2009, despite BJP’s India Shining campaign, Congress formed government
• ‘This time round, results will surprise everyone and BJP balloon will burst’
• Sonia justifies giving ticket to tainted ex-Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan

New Delhi: The Congress intends to contest the Lok Sabha polls by singularly targeting BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, hoping against hope that the poll predictions in the 2014 will be proved wrong, as it happened in the last two elections, when Congressswept to power despite pollsters running down the party.

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday targetted Modi during the release of the party's manifesto saying that he was not a mere individual but represented an ideology that is exclusionary and a chosen one that pits one person against another and can hurt the very fundamentals of the nation.

At the release of the Congress Election Manifesto at the party headquarters, where Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were also present, Rahul Gandhi pooh-poohed the poll predictions that showed the Congress securing its worst-ever tally in the Lok Sabha polls in the 2014 polls. Rahul Gandhi said that in 2004 and 2009, despite the India Shining campaign, the Congress formed the government. He recalled that in the last elections, it was predicted that the Congress will not secure more than 5 seats in Uttar Pradesh.

He said that this time round, the results will surprise every one and the BJP balloon will burst.

Refuting the statements that the Congress was isolated in these elections as its allies had deserted the sinking ship, Rahul Gandhi said that in contrast it was the BJP whose Allies were no longer with them, like the BJD in Odisha and the JD(U) in Bihar.

The Congress, on the other hand, had all the Allies intact, like the RLD, RJD, JMM and the NCP.

In the Congress Manifesto, voters have been given a choice to choose between Congress and BJP, while there is no mention of the AAP. The Congress secular and liberal ethos has a place for each and every Indian. "Ours in an inclusive vision," states the manifesto. In contrast, the BJP's narrow and communal perspective denies equality to all. "Theirs is an exclusionary doctrine," it emphasizes. The choice is between Secular Liberal Nationalism versus narrow-minded Communalism and Inclusive Democracy versus Divisive authoritarianism.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi in a reply to a question stated that they will put up a strong candidate against Narendra Modi in Varanasi.

She justified giving ticket to tainted former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan in the Adarsh scam saying that neither the court nor the Election Commission has barred him from contesting. In the manifesto, however, tall promises have been made in bringing a few more legislations like Right of Citizens for Time-Bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressal of their Grievances Bill, 2011, that promises to be a second RTI, besides Prevention of Corruption (Amendment Bill), which enlarges the definition of taking a bribe and covering commercial organizations.

On corruption, when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was asked to react to the BJP charge that his was the most corrupt government, he said that the saffron party termed him weak and constantly attacked him, thinking that he would run away, but he proved them wrong. He said that in a developing economy, corruption cannot be wished away. He said that every effort has been during the UPA government to work out a blueprint in institutional framework where corruption will be the thing of the past.