In 2004 Vajpayeeji seemed invincible, but we won: Sonia

April 11, 2019 14:27

UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, who is in Rae Bareli, when asked if she thinks PM Narendra Modi is invincible, said, "Not at all. Don't forget 2004. Vajpayeeji was invincible, but we won."

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who accompanied his mother as she is set to file her nomination papers in the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency added, "There have been many people in Indian history who had arrogance to believe that they're invincible and bigger than the people of India. Narendra Modi for the last 5 yrs has done nothing for the people of India. His invincibility will be in full view after election results."

The BJP has described the voter turnout in the first phase of the general election till 1 pm as "encouraging". "BJP workers are extremely enthused and motivated at the good voter turnout so far on the first day of polling. Everything seems to be going in NDA's favour," BJP leader and Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.

Voting has been largely peaceful and it augurs well for democracy. The feedback the BJP has been getting from its workers is very encouraging, she told reporters.

Citing the Election Commission figures, she said the voter turnout has been anywhere between 33 to 44 per cent till 1 pm.

This is what psephologists Dr Prannoy Roy and Dorab R Sopariwala have to say about high voter turnout: "We've done some work on this relationship between turnout and which party gains or loses and we arrive at some conclusions that low turnout benefits the BJP. However more research is needed.

"Low turnout helps cadre based parties, high turnout helps non-cadre based parties. But much more work needs to be done on this."

Read the interview with Rediff.com here.

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