BHOPAL (TIP): Day after former Union minister Milind Deora blamed AICC vicepresident Rahul Gandhi‘s advisers for the party’s decimation in the Lok Sabha polls, former Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on May 22 the “Congress Party is responsible for allowing the Modi wave to sweep the country”. Scindia was on a two-day trip to Gwalior, Guna and Ashoknagar to thank voters of his constituency for his victory.

Speaking to reporters in Ashoknagar, Scindia said, “The space for Modi was created by Congress. In the past five years, there was lack of communication with the people. The government introduced welfare policies, but failed to convince voters about its intention. And this is where BJP stepped in.” Scindia argued there was also a huge communication gap between the government and the party.

“To fill this gap, the party will have to introspect and project a new leadership at the Centre and in the states,” he said. Not just Scindia, former Congress MP from Dewas, Sajjan Singh Verma,who lost the poll, claimed UPA-Centre had introduced various welfare policies, but the gains were booked by BJP governments. Verma, a staunch follower of senior Congress leader Kamal Nath, said, “UPA was hit by scams, but governments in states are embroiled in bigger scams, but the party failed to communicate this to the people.”

Verma also said Modi had mobilised a youth brigade to build his brand. But Congress leaders made no such effort for Rahul Gandhi. “Congress got wiped out because our leaders failed to realise that elections are won by propaganda and media management,” he said.Verma also said the first major blow to Congress came from Anna Hazare’s Lokpal movement against corruption.

“Our party president Sonia Gandhi was extremely unwell and Rahul accompanied her to the US for treatment. But as soon as he returned, Rahul should have walked up to Anna Hazare and accepted his demand for Lokpal Bill. The people would have got the message,” Verma said.