Congress will sweep Lok Sabha polls next year with Mata Vaishno Devi’s blessing: J&K party chief Wani

Jammu, Nov 4 (PTI) The Congress has the blessing of Mata Vaishno Devi and will sweep the Lok Sabha elections next year, the party’s Jammu and Kashmir unit chief Vikar Rasool Wani said on Saturday.

He also said the Congress, National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party are part of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) and will fight the parliamentary elections together.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a public rally in Katra – the base camp for the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage – Wani said, “This is a sacred place and the blessing of Mata Rani is with the Congress which will sweep next year’s Lok Sabha polls to form the government at the Centre. It will also win elections in Jammu and Kashmir whenever they are held.”

Mata Vaishno Devi is popularly known as Mata Rani.

Wani said the BJP will suffer a drubbing whenever the assembly and local body elections are held in Jammu and Kashmir.

“There are some parties which are originally B-teams of the BJP and were formed only to divide secular votes of Congress. We have the Ghulam Nabi Azad-led party (Democratic Progressive Azad Party) in Jammu province and the (Altaf) Bukhari-led party (Apni Party) and some others in Kashmir. There is no doubt about these parties.

“I am confident when the elections take place, the B-teams and the BJP will be rejected by people,” the Congress leader said.

He said a Congress wave is sweeping across the country because the BJP stands exposed in its 10-year-long rule.

“The BJP has failed to keep its promises to the people and has downgraded our historic state to a union territory. They have suddenly woken up to celebrate UT foundation day (on October 31) after keeping mum for the last four years,” Wani said.

Referring to the Jammu and Kashmir administration warning its employees against holding protests, he said they are now even afraid of the employees.

“They have strangulated democracy in J&K and imposed dictatorship…. People have made up their mind to teach a lesson to the BJP which has now even deferred panchayat and urban local body elections fearing its loss,” he said.

Earlier, addressing the rally, Wani alleged that the BJP wants to crush every voice of dissent but will be routed due to its “authoritarian style of governance and anti-people policies”.

Addressing the gathering, party leader Manoj Yadav said the BJP has ruined democratic atmosphere in the country and added that the Congress “is fighting for restoration of democracy and the snatched status of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.”