With the Election Commission set to announce the dates for the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress on Sunday described it as the first day of the festival to bid farewell to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“This is the first day of the festival to bid farewell to Modi. The voter is ready for the past three-and-a-half years. The unemployed youth, the troubled farmer, the small businessman, everyone was waiting with bated breath for this day,” Congress spokesman Pawan Khera told reporters here.
Khera said the Congress was prepared to face the elections and give better governance than what has been given by Modi over the past five years.
“Modi was only in campaign mode for the past five years. Congress is in campaign mode only during elections and moves to governance mode after elections,” the Congress spokesman said.
The Congress is shaping its campaign for the Lok Sabha elections around rising unemployment, agrarian distress and its plans for an alternative development model to Modi's Gujarat model of development.
Congress has also been attacking the Modi government on the contentious Rafale fighter jet deal and threatening to launch an investigation into it if voted to power. It is also expected to focus on allegations of corruption against the Modi government and charges of crony capitalism against the BJP.
After it posted victories in the Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan assembly elections last year, Congress has been in an upbeat mood and campaigning aggressively against the Modi government.