Senior Congress leader Manish Tewari claimed Sunday the elections in five states scheduled between November and December would mark the beginning of the end for the BJP rule at the Centre.
He also rejected the claims that the Congress' efforts to form a grand alliance to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the next general elections had failed, saying it was too early to rush to the conclusion.
"The upcoming polls in five states will mark the beginning of the end of the BJP rule at the Centre," Tewari told reporters here on the sidelines of a party function.
Replying to another question, he said the results in the five states would pave the way for the formation of the grand alliance at the Centre.
He said the state-level arrangements would not have any impact over the general elections. "The priorities of the parties are entirely different when it comes to state and parliamentary elections," he said.
Tewari alleged the Narendra Modi-led government had spelt "doom for the economy".
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He said the common man was finding it difficult to make both ends meet.
"The BJP will certainly be punished for its sins of omission and commission and the beginning will be made with the assembly elections in five states," he claimed, adding the diesel and petrol prices had touched the roof.
High-stakes Assemblypolls in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana will be held between November 12 and December 7.
The former Union minister also alleged the economy was completely mis-managed and it had never been in such a shambles.
He claimed the rupee had lost its value by about half during the last four and a half years of the central government.