The Congress has mounted a multi-pronged attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, questioning his policies, performance and administrative acumen as the party firmly believes that the enervated BJP relies solely on him to see it through elections.

Highlighting issues like the Manipur unrest, high prices of essential commodities, unfulfilled promises and crony capitalism, the Congress is trying to weave an impression that Modi is the main reason for the plethora of problems. There is a pattern in the Congress’s attack on Modi — Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had a few days ago recalled decisions like demonetisation and the now-scrapped farm laws to question his leadership credentials.

While the BJP hasn’t announced chief ministerial faces in any of the election-bound states and kept the focus away from the local infrastructure, the Prime Minister naturally becomes the key interface between the party and the voters.

The BJP had adopted a similar strategy in Karnataka earlier this year, given the discredited local leadership, but lost the election.

Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday targeted Modi for the mishandling of the crisis in Manipur, which has been in the throes of unprecedented turmoil for six months.

Issuing a video appeal to the voters of Mizoram, the Congress leader said: “In Manipur, the BJP has divided society bitterly. Six months of suffering have gone by, but there is no effort towards peace and reconciliation. The Prime Minister is completely silent and has not seen it fit to visit Manipur for even a few hours.”

Modi was scheduled to campaign in Mizoram on October 30 but the tour was cancelled against the backdrop of anger at his inflexible stand on Manipur. He has refused to change his attitude towards Manipur even as the Opposition parties, citizens and human rights activists have expressed outrage over the drift in the state.

Sonia said: “Today, democracy is under threat from the BJP and the RSS in Mizoram, in the Northeast and across India. They value neither diversity, nor democracy, nor dialogue. They want to impose uniformity across India. In Parliament, the BJP forces laws which weaken the rights of tribals to their land and forests and does not even allow the Mizoram member of Parliament to speak. The MNF and the ZPM say they are independent, but are they really? No, I believe they are not. They are gateways for the BJP into Mizoram. The Congress party will never compromise with the BJP.”

Campaigning in Telangana, Rahul Gandhi said: “I am not Narendra Modi. I fulfil promises. Modi promised Rs 15 lakh each to everybody, but not one rupee came into your accounts while lakhs of crores flew into Adani’s account.” He referred to Modi’s perceived politics of vendetta by arguing that all Opposition leaders were facing cases while the Telangana chief minister had been spared because he was working with the central government.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who addressed public meetings in Chhattisgarh, said Modi distorted history, gave the impression that India attained freedom in 2014 when he came to power, did not work for the welfare of the poor, helped crony capitalists and acted like a dictator. Kharge blamed Modi for the high prices of LPG cylinders, petrol and diesel, vegetables, pulses and other items. He warned Dalits and tribals that all their rights would be snatched one by one if the Congress was not voted to power.

Addressing a media conference at Raipur in Chhattisgarh, Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh said: “The Prime Minister cannot speak the truth even by mistake. He said here that the Nagarnar Steel Plant would not be privatised. But the truth is that his government has been trying to sell the plant since October 2020. Even the Bhilai Steel Plant will be sold if the BJP continues to be in power.”

He added: “We all know trains are delayed or cancelled in Chhattisgarh because priority is given to freight trains transporting coal for Adani. Modi is attacking federalism and indulging in discrimination against Opposition-ruled states. The BJP has no issues and is relying solely on religious polarisation. The Prime Minister, the home minister, the Assam chief minister… see their speeches. We are fighting elections on local issues, people’s concerns.”