"Congress is giving tough competition:" says Salman Khurshid, optimistic on party's chances

New Delhi [India], May 28 : Responding to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent claim of the BJP winning over 300 seats till the fifth phase of ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Salman Khurshid said, "What should he say? If he doesn't claim 300 seats, then what should he say? He can't say that they have only reached 200, can he? He needs to maintain their stance."
Khurshid highlighted the opposition's scepticism and said, "If they (the opposition) are getting 10-20 seats in the next phase, they might not even get those. So, they will say what they have to say."
He also pointed out the shift from earlier claims, "Now, they aren't claiming 400 seats either, even though the Prime Minister had mentioned crossing 400."
Khurshid emphasised the uncertainty of election outcomes stating, "Who will win the election will be decided on the 4th. So, let's wait a bit. We can also say that we have won a certain number of seats but it's not sure that it will come to us. However, from what we understand, this is the number of seats we can win, and we can plan ahead accordingly. Based on this understanding, we can move forward with our planning."
Home Minister Amit Shah made his projection during a rally in Bihar's Karakat on Sunday, stating that the BJP, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, has crossed the 310-seat mark in the five phases of the ongoing elections, and aims to exceed 400 seats with the remaining phases.
"Six phases of Lok Sabha elections were completed. I have the report on the five phases of elections. In just five phases of elections, PM Modi will be winning 310 seats and forming the government. The sixth and seventh phases are for crossing 400 seats," Shah said.
Khurshid further emphasized the positive feedback from voters and party workers for the Congress party, in the ongoing Lok Sabha election.
"You are inviting me to join in the exaggeration of statements that are often made during elections and to start speculating about the number of seats. Everywhere we go and listen to what people are saying, hearing from the workers, and observing the body language of our leaders, we see their growing confidence. We can gauge the increasing support and attachment of the people, and based on that, we can make estimations," Khurshid said.
"I believe that we have fought this election well, compared to the last two elections (Lok Sabha), we have fought this election very well. Whether we will be able to reach the number of seats we need or not will be known on June 4, but there is no doubt that this has been a close fight," he added.
Khurshid highlighted the key issues addressed in the Congress manifesto, citing Rahul Gandhi's focus on poverty, rising unemployment, farmers' issues, and recurring exam paper leaks.
"Many topics have been addressed with great precision, which people have accepted. People have accepted our guarantees. They are very troubled by the experiences of the past 10 years. They believe that all these issues have increased over the past 10 years and that there should be change now," Khurshid said.
He acknowledged the uncertainty of the outcome but expressed confidence in the party's position.
"Is there a possibility for as much change as we want through which we can form a government?, I believe that only after careful consideration can anything be said on this. There is still one phase left; let it be completed first, and then we can say something. As of now seeing the enthusiasm of the party, the dedication of the party workers, there is confidence that now we are on the verge of coming to power and we will form a good government," Khurshid said.