Cong releases manifesto; says BJP 'balloon' will explode again

Unveiling an agenda of rights- based welfare schemes with reforms to pursue growth and job creation, Congress top brass today said BJP's poll campaign "balloon" will explode like 'India Shining' 10 years ago.
Warning that Narendra Modi's ideology is damaging for the country, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asserted that party will fight in a determined manner the upcoming Lok Sabha polls to ensure its defeat.
Releasing the party's manifesto 'Your Voice, Our Pledge' here, they debunked the opinion polls, which predict a dismal show by the UPA, and said everybody will be "surprised" by the results.

On the upbeat campaign mounted by NDA under Modi, Rahul said, "just like the 'India Shining' balloon exploded... I can say certainly the balloon will explode."
"India shining was an excellent campaign. They thought they will get 350 seats. But it evaporated when the results came. I am confident that like the balloon of India Shining, this time also the balloon will explode," he said.
With Congress fighting the elections with its back to the wall on a variety of issues, including corruption and price rise, the Prime Minister conceded that corruption "cannot be wished away" in a developing country. He, however, said mechanisms have been put in place to deal with it.

At the same time, Sonia Gandhi brushed aside criticism over nomination of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, whose name figured in the Adarsh Housing scam, saying he has not been barred from contesting elections by any law or the Election Commission.