Shatrugan Sinha to BJP: “Don’t we look desperate in Gujarat?” 

Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday slammed the Congress party’s ‘feudal mindset’ and brought up a decades-old visit of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to Gujarat’s Morbi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Shatrugan Sinha wondered if BJP was showing signs of panic and desperation in the run-up to Gujarat Assembly elections.

On twitter, the outspoken Lok Sabha member wrote: “By pumping in so many leaders at the same time in our own state Gujarat, like we did in Delhi, aren't we showing signs of panic and desperation in anticipation.” And citing the Delhi and Bihar Assembly elections’ outcome, he added that such strategies do not work.

On November 23, Sinha, in a direct attack on PM Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, had described the dispensations running the government and the party as a "one-man army" and a "two-man show" besides dubbing ministers in Modi government as a "bunch of sycophants."

In a separate tweet, he advised PM Modi to be “very careful about what you speak and how you behave.”  Sinha said: “Even in the worst of scenarios and with lukewarm, moderate, cold or good crowd we must maintain dignity and not resort to any personal attacks and allegations against individuals and opponents. After all we are a party with a difference!”

Polling for the two-phase election to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will take place on December 9 and 14 and votes will be counted on December 18.

While addressing a rally at Morbi, PM Modi mocked former PM Indira Gandhi, saying that “When Indira Ben came to Morbi, I remember there was a photo of her in the Chitralekha Magazine with a hanky over her nose due to the foul smell. But for Jansangh/Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the streets of Morbi are fragrant.”

Even though several opinion polls have predicted a “comfortable victory” for the BJP, the saffron party has deputed at least 20 Union Ministers and six Chief Ministers for the election campaign which is being led by PM Modi.