Victory of dynastic politics: BJP on Priyanka Gandhi’s nomination for Wayanad bypoll

New Delhi, Oct 24 (PTI) The BJP launched a scathing attack on the Gandhi family on Thursday, saying Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s nomination for the Wayanad bypoll is a victory of dynastic politics and defeat of merit.

BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia also alleged discrepancies in the declaration of assets in Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi’s poll affidavit.

Addressing a press conference at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters here, he accused the Gandhi family of “insulting” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, a Dalit, by not allowing him to accompany Priyanka Gandhi to the returning officer’s office for filing her nomination.

“It is a victory of the Gandhi family’s corruption and dynastic politics, and defeat of merit,” Bhatia said, slamming the Congress over Priyanka Gandhi’s nomination for the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll in Kerala.

Bhatia claimed that the assets declared by Priyanka Gandhi in her poll affidavit are way below the assets she and her husband Robert Vadra possess.

“The assets of Robert Vadra declared in the poll affidavit are lower than the income-tax department’s demand…. The total demand raised by the income-tax department is Rs 75 crore,” he said, alleging that Priyanka Gandhi’s poll affidavit is a confession of corruption committed by the Gandhi family and Vadra.

She has also shown the value of her house in Shimla much lower than what it is, Bhatia alleged.

Gandhi on Wednesday filed the nomination for her maiden electoral battle from Wayanad. In her affidavit filed for the bypoll, she has declared assets worth more than Rs 12 crore, including a Rs 5.63-crore house in Shimla.

The Congress candidate has also declared that her husband, Vadra, has movable assets worth more than Rs 37.9 crore and immovable assets worth over Rs 27.64 crore.

According to her declaration, she had a total income of more than Rs 46.39 lakh in the 2023-2024 financial year, including rental income and interest from banks and other investments.

Bhatia claimed that there are certain restrictions on buying property in Himachal Pradesh but the rules were bent for the Gandhi family to enable them get a house in Shimla.

“These are people with SUVs and farmhouses, big vehicles and big bungalows…. But they do not disclose the correct value of their assets,” the BJP leader said.

“The entire country is asking Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to furnish the means of their ill-gotten money. Quid pro quo, ‘commission-khori’? Robert Vadra is crime master Gogo. He will take away something with him if he has come. Please let the country know about it,” he added.

Accusing the Gandhi family of indulging in dynastic politics, the BJP spokesperson alleged that Priyanka Gandhi has only been promoted in the Congress, despite not delivering on the responsibilities she was given by the party.

“She was made the Congress’s in-charge for eastern Uttar Pradesh and the party won just one of the 80 Lok Sabha seats (in the state). But Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was promoted and made the party in-charge for entire Uttar Pradesh in 2020. The Congress won just two of the 403 Assembly seats in 2022. Yet she was promoted again and given the party’s ticket to contest the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll,” he added.

There is no place for merit in the Congress, Bhatia charged.

“Priyanka Gandhi is so eligible because she is the sister of a former president of the party, granddaughter of a former president of the party and mother of the future president of the party,” the BJP leader said, taking a dig at the Congress, without naming Rahul Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi’s son Raihan Vadra.