Virtually sounding the poll bugle for the next general elections, Congress President Rahul Gandhi today said his party will win all polls starting with Karnataka and come to power at the Centre in 2019.
At his party's well-attended 'Jan Aakrosh Rally' at Ramlila Maidan here, an aggressive Gandhi accused the BJP and the RSS of sowing seeds of hatred and polarising the country.
He also charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi with spreading "lies" against the Congress and its leaders.
While former prime minister Manmohan Singh said democracy "is in danger" in the country with the Modi government consistently undermining constitutional institutions, Sonia Gandhi alleged that corruption has taken "deeper roots" since it came to power.
Rahul Gandhi said, "Elections are around the corner. In 2014, the BJP and the RSS machine spread lies against our government....
"I can tell you here that the Congress party will win Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
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At his first rally here after taking over as the party chief, Rahul Gandhi said the Congress was like the water required to build the country's edifice and described party workers as "sher ke bachche" (lions cubs), who sacrificed their lives for truth and not for "satta" (power).
He was making a reference to "killings" of Congress workers in Punjab, Assam and other states.
Gandhi's remarks about the party's future performance come at a time when regional leaders such as TRS's Chandrasekhar Rao were making attempts at forging a non-Congress, non-BJP front for the next general elections.
Launching an all-out attack on the government, Manmohan Singh said it was time the government gave an account of its works to the people.
"The manner in which the Modi government is functioning, it can also pose a threat to democracy in the country. If Parliament does not function, it can pose danger to democracy," he said.
"Today an atmosphere is being created where constitutional institutions are being insulted....The way the notice for a no-confidence motion by the opposition was not allowed to be taken up...are examples
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