Rahul Gandhi says Narendra Modi, Amit Shah ‘stole’ government, ‘purchased’ Congress MLAs

Vidisha, MP: Senior Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah of "purchasing" his party's MLAs and “stealing” government in Madhya Pradesh. Referring to the rebellion of 22 MLAs that led to the collapse of the Kamal Nath government in 2020, Gandhi claimed the voice of the masses was "crushed" by the BJP.

In the 2018 Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, the Congress emerged as the single largest party with the seat tally of 114. The Congress cobbled together a government after taking support from the independents. However, 15 months after Kamal Nath became the chief minister, the government collapsed due to the resignations of the MLAs. Later, the BJP (109 seats) formed a government under Shivraj Singh Chouhan's leadership.

"Five years back, all of you elected the Congress party to the government. You did not elect BJP but the Congress party. After that, BJP leaders -- Narendra Modi, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Amit Shah -- purchased MLAs and stole the elected government of Madhya Pradesh," he said in a poll rally in Madhya Pradesh's Vidisha.

"By giving crores of rupees and purchasing MLAs of the Congress party, your decision, the voice of your heart was crushed by the BJP leaders, by the prime minister. You were cheated," he added, per ANI.

Gandhi vowed that the Congress will "chase away" the BJP in Madhya Pradesh.

"We fight the BJP. In Karnataka, we chased them away. In Himachal Pradesh, we chased them away - but not with hatred. We opened 'Mohabbat ki Dukan' in ‘Nafrat ka Bazaar’. We are soldiers of non-violence, we don't hit. But we chased them out with love. We told them that they don't have a place here; you looted Karnataka, run a '40% government' so go away. Congress party's government will come here," he added.

Gandhi said the Congress will win between 145-150 seats in Madhya Pradesh.

Rahul Gandhi comes to MP for entertainment: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Meanwhile, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the Congress party's government was the "government of entertainment".

"We (referring to the BJP government) will do the development, Congress has no strength. Our government is a double-engine government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a wonderful leader of the world. So there is a double engine government of PM Modi and Mama (referring to himself). The Congress government is a government of entertainment," he added.

Attacking Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, he said the brother-sister duo comes to the state only for entertainment.

"Both brothers and sisters come only for entertainment here. They lie so much. Priyanka Gandhi had said that only 21 people were given employment in three years. Rahul Gandhi also says anything. This brother and sister lie every day. We are double engine and they are entertainment," he added.

With inputs from ANI