Ahmed Patel confident Congress will do well

New Delhi: Congress leader Ahmed Patel is unfazed by predictions of opinions polls and widespread perception that UPA III is not possible and dismisses as "hypothetical" questions whether the party will back any combination to stop Narendra Modi from coming to power.

Refusing to go into details of what will be the party's strategy in case it is not able to come back to power, he says that in such a situation the Congress President will take a decision in consultation with the Working Committee.

"We are confident of getting absolute majority with our allies. Why should we support a Third Front when we are getting our majority. It is a hypothetical question. As the enters its last leg, we are getting confident of scoring the third straight victory over BJP

"The feedback we have been getting from the ground is very encouraging and suggests that people have seen through BJP's deception game," Patel told PTI.

Dismissing as "false and hype" the talk of a Modi wave, Patel said the BJP is "destined" to sit in the Opposition.

Asked whether Congress is ready to lend support from outside any formation to stop Modi from coming to power, Patel, Political Secretary to Sonia Gandhi, said, "that question does not arise. But in any circumstance, the final decision will be taken by the Congress President in consultation with the Congress Working Committee. But I am sure that the situation will not arise."

"Where does this question arise when I am saying that our party is very confident that it will be a Congress-led UPA-III government. We will cross the magic figure of 272 and form government.

"It is a hypothetical question. With full confidence, I would like to say that we will get the numbers".

However, Patel conceded that there was a "little bit of disappointment" among the people due to anti-incumbency arising out of ten years in power.

He scotched speculation that there was difference of opinion in the Congress on the shape of the next government.

"Don't go by Modi. He always talks tall. Their (BJP's) destiny is to sit in the Opposition", Patel said rejecting his claim that Congress will not be able to cross the 100-mark in the Lok Sabha polls and will have the lowest tally so far.

"The atmosphere in Gujarat has changed. We are seeing a changed Gujarat. We will get more seats than the BJP in the state," he said wondering "where the is question of their emerging as the single largest party in the country."

In Vadodara, Congress leader Madhusudan Mistry is giving a good fight against Modi and "we are hopeful", he said.

"It's an artificial wave. You go to the rural areas and you will find. This wave is false and artificially created," Patel insisted when asked about the Narendra Modi wave in the

Lok Sabha polls.

When pointed out that the crowds in rallies of Modi are much bigger than noticed in the election meetings of Rahul Gandhi, the face of Congress in these elections, Patel said that the gatherings in the public meetings of the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate are "stage managed crowd" and alleged that huge amount money was being spent on that.

He also disagreed with the contention that it was the perception of a "weak" Prime Minister Manmohan Singh vis a vis "strong" Modi image that was doing the Congress in.

"Such a talk is baseless will be proved by the results," he said lauding the UPA government's works.

Patel asked if Modi's image is that of a strong leader, then why has BJP failed to increase its tally in Gujarat.

Asked whether a nationwide campaign by Priyanka Gandhi could have made some difference to the fortunes of Congress, Patel said "She has already said that she will confine herself to Rae Bareli and Amethi and will be helping her mother and brother."

Pressed further on a larger role for her in the future, larger role, Patel said, "Only she can answer this question. It is upto her."

He denied suggestions that it was delay in deciding on alliances that will cost the Congress dear.

He insisted that most of the allies that have been there in the UPA -II were there with the Congress barring DMK and Trinamool Congress, which had parted ways earlier.

When asked about Modi's claim that the BJP has for the first time formed a strong alliance of as many as 25 parties, Patel said that BJP's will be a "failed alliance".

He said in the past also opinion polls had predicted disaster for Congress but UPA came to power in 2004 and 2009.

Asked whether the issue of Robert Vadra is turning into an embarrassment for the Congress with BJP regularly hitting out at the son-in-law of the Congress President during the polls, Patel said that Vadra is being made a "collateral victim" of a conspiracy as the BJP wants to "malign the Gandhi family" hoping for electoral gains.