Unsure of exact Rafale price, Congress still to make it poll plank

Nashik: The Congress in Maharashtra said the Rafale deal will be key for the election issue for the party to hit out at the NDA government over the rising prices of petrol and diesel.

Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said that the party would fight the upcoming Lok Sabha polls on Rafale and other issues of public interest.

The opposition party alleged the irregularities in the purchase of Rafale fighter jets from France, a charge vehemently denied by the BJP-led government.

The opposition party launched a state-wide yatra in August to highlight "failures" of the BJP-led government at the Centre and in Maharashtra.

Even though the Congress will fight the upcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha polls on Rafale, there still exists some uncertain facts, which first need to be confirmed. 

Reports state that Rahul Gandhi did attempt to create a comparison on the price ranges mentioned by the two governments for the purchase of the weaponised aircraft by Rafale and tried to justify how the price escalated during the NDA ruling. But what went downstream was the prices mentioned by the Gandhi heir himself were different or varied at every occasion especially at the Lok Sabha during the no-confidence motion.

The inconsistency in Rahul Gandhi's speeches over the price of Rafale aircraft under UPA regime varied four times in 5 months and was even questioned by Arun Jaitley in an interview with ANI, "Rahul Gandhi quoted a price of Rs 700 crore per aircraft in Delhi and Karnataka in April and May this year. In the Parliament, he reduced it to Rs 520 crore per aircraft, and in Raipur, he increased it to Rs 540 crore." 

While addressing the public at Bhaji Market ground here in North Maharashtra on Sunday evening, Prithviraj Chavan claimed the country's economic condition has become weaker under the present government.

The former Union minister claimed that the government has earned crores of rupees through the increase in fuel price, but has not provided any substantial relief to the common people.

A meeting was organised as part of the Congress's 'Jan Sangharsh Yatra' that arrived here on Sunday.

Speaking on this occasion, state Congress chief Ashok Chavan said the ruling government in Maharashtra has failed to solve the problems faced by the people of the state.
 
Ashok Chavan, the former chief minister of Maharashtra, said the party would dislodge the ruling BJP from power in the next Assembly polls in the second half of 2019.
 
However, the statements of Rahul Gandhi and its inconsistency highlights how the UPA government is trying to frame the NDA government in being irresponsible while highlighting how the same has how backfired, eventually being perceived as a poll plank created by the Congress. 

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