A statement that will cause considerable embarrassment to the BJP, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has said that Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was capable of leading the country adding that the Modi wave had faded.
The anger among people in Gujarat against the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is an indication that the BJP would face a stiff challenge in polls, scheduled to be held in December, he said.
Raut was addressing a discussion on a TV channel.
“Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is capable of leading the country. It is wrong to call him ‘Pappu’,” he was quoted by PTI. State Education Minister and senior BJP leader Vinod Tawde was also present at the event.
“The biggest political power in this country is people… the voters. ‘Woh kisi ko bhi Pappu bana sakte hai’ (People can make anyone pappu),” the Shiv Sena leader said in an apparent dig at the BJP which had secured a massive mandate in 2014 polls.
Shiv Sena, the oldest constituent of the NDA, shares a ‘blow hot-blow cold’ relationship with its senior ally, the BJP, in the Centre and Maharashtra.