Priyanka Gandhi utters 'ab ki baar' slogan in Maharashtra rally but with a twist

Attacking the BJP in the crucial state of Maharashtra which, at 48, sends the second-highest members to Lok Sabha, Priyanka during her rally in Latur on Saturday that the people have decided to vote out this government that has given rise to inflation and unemployment and bring in a dispensation that serves them.

As she was talking about the failures of the BJP-led government at the Centre and the Congress' guarantees, she was interrupted by someone in the audience who chanted an "ab ki baar" slogan in her party's favour.

Priyanka also seized the the opportunity to take a dig at the BJP and PM Modi, who have set the target of the NDA winning 400 Lok Sabha seats sloganing the "ab ki baar 400 paar (this time, over 400 seats).

She gave a twist to the slogan and said in Hindi, "Ab ki baar aap ki sarkar, ab ki baar janata ki sarkar. You have suffered enough. PM Modi and all his ministers have understood that the people's mood is changing, that their drama and theatrics will no longer work and the only thing that will work is the truth."

"Voters want the truth and want to go back to their old religious tradition where every leader bows before the people and realises that he or she has a huge responsibility to them, the biggest being that the truth should be told.

"A leader's duty is to serve people and this is a tradition you have inculcated in politicians. But you are now stepping back and are now giving leaders the impression that they can talk about religion and they don't have to do any work for voters," she added.

Giving an example of a voter she met in UP's Firozabad, Priyanka said the woman told her that she would vote based on religion and caste. This mindset, according to her, works in favour of leaders and their children, but not for the voters themselves.

"Your vote is for roads in your area, schools for your children, water in your homes and for employment. Don't vote in favour of a leader or a party, vote in your own favour, for your family, village, city and country. Leaders get arrogant when in power and that's what you are seeing now," she said.

In a sharp response to the Prime Minister's claim of an alleged "wealth redistribution" promise in Congress's manifesto, the Congress leader said he is spreading misinformation to divert people's attention from real issues.

"A Prime Minister is using his office to talk about things like the Congress stealing your 'mangalsutras'. This country has seen so many great Prime Ministers - not just from the Congress - like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh.

But PM Modi has reduced the stature of the office so much that instead of asking for votes using his achievements, he is talking about a political party stealing your ornaments using an X-Ray machine," she said.