Bengaluru: Rahul a liability for Congress, says HN Ananth Kumar

Bengaluru: Union Minister H. N. Ananth Kumar said on Saturday the outcome of Assembly polls in UP and other states might lead to a “Sonia-Rahul mukt Congress,” adding the two leaders have become a "liability” to the party.

“The way Rahul got defeated, there may be a move towards Sonia-Rahul Gandhi mukt Congress. It will start in a big way. Rather than adding, they have become a big liability,” said Mr Kumar, adding the “countdown” has started.  Asked why he was saying so and if it was even conceivable for the Congress to do it, Mr Kumar said, “it is a question of their survival. The countdown for the dynasty has started. The writing on the wall is very clear. After the advent of Mr Modi, there is no place for corruption, criminalisation of politics and dynastic politics,” he told PTI here. On the election results, he said “from day one” prelude to the 2014 Lok Sabha poll campaign, PM  Modi had been talking about “Congress mukt Bharat” which is now being “pursued to its logical conclusion.”

“The people have come to the conclusion that elections will not be based on caste equations or other considerations but it will be aspirational elections.” Mr Modi should be credited for heralding aspirational politics, he said.  “People want good governance and pro-people activities. Modi has become an icon of aspirational politics,” he said, citing his work as the Gujarat chief minister and the prime minister. People of Uttar Pradesh have rejected Mayawati's BSP, Akhilesh Yadav's SP and Rahul’s  Congress “lock, stock and barrel,” he said, adding there was a "palpable, visible Modi wave" in the run-up to the elections in that state.  He termed the mandate as “decisive,” which had sent a strong signal that the people had endorsed “outright” Modi's demonetisation move and voted for his crusade against corruption, black money and terrorism.