All opposition parties must unite, engage BJP in 'one-to-one' battle: Vaghela

Former Gujarat chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela Wednesday hit out at the Modi government over the Rafale deal and rising fuel price, and urged all opposition parties to unitedly take on the BJP in a "one-to-one" battle in the 2019 parliamentary election.

Asserting that the Lok Sabha polls will be a fight between "the PM of India vs the people of India", Vaghela told reporters here that though he was not with any party, but is extending "unconditional support" to all "anti-BJP" forces to defeat the saffron party in the election.

Asked about his political plans and whether he will contest the Lok Sabha polls, Vaghela said it was "too early to say" and he will let everyone know when the time comes.

Vaghela, who split from the Congress in July last year ahead of the assembly polls and formed the breakaway Jan Vikalp Morcha, said the forming of the Morcha was an election-oriented move.

Slamming the government over the Rafale issue, he said the Modi government came to power on the promise of transparency in governance, but has forgotten about it in the fighter jet deal issue.

He alleged that Anil Ambani's firm was "rewarded" at the expense of state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

"Now with just about six months left of his five-year term, I now present myself to seek 'account' on behalf of the people of Gujarat and India," the former Union minister said at a press conference here.

Vaghela also slammed the BJP for allegedly polarising the discourse for electoral gains, saying it was "distressing" to notice that popular attention was sought to be diverted from "total failure" of the Modi government on issues such as education, health, employment and soaring prices to issues such as "Gai (cow), Ganga, Dadri (lynching), Babri (mosque) and Love Jihad".

"When (the BJP was) in the Opposition, the falling value of the rupee was equated with plummeting national prestige. What about now? Why is the prime minister silent now? Is national honour not being compromised now?
Hitting out at the RSS conclave that was held in the national capital this month, he said, "Using the precincts of the high security zone located Vigyan Bhavan to read out a BJP government script is a vain attempt at taking people for a ride."