Corruption to be key issue in 2017 Gujarat polls: Congress

Ahmedabad, Apr 19: Corruption will be the key issue for Congress in the Gujarat Assembly election next year and the party would be chalking out a comprehensive strategy to "expose" the BJP government through an array of programmes.

A meeting of senior leaders, including AICC General Secretary in-charge of Gujarat, Gurudas Kamat, will be held here on April 22 to prepare a road-map on highlighting the issue of corruption in a big way among the masses, said senior Congressman Shankersinh Vaghela today.

According to him, Gujarat has become a "hub of corruption" under the rule of BJP, which is in power in the State for over two decades.

Highlighting the loss incurred by state PSU GSPC in its gas exploration project in KG Basin, Vaghela said policies of the government, under the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, pushed such profit-making enterprises into the red.

"GSPC was once a profit-making PSU. But due to huge corruption in KG Basin operations, GSPC is now out of cash," alleged Vaghela.

"Not just GSPC, metro project too became a victim of corruption. Gujarat has now became a hub of corruption," said the former Chief Minister.

According to him, it is now Congress' turn to hit back at BJP, which highlighted the issue of alleged corruption under UPA rule during its 2014 general election campaign.

"This time, Congress will expose the BJP Government in Gujarat on the issue of rampant corruption in the State. We will reach out to the people with proofs of corruption in our poll campaign for the 2017 Assembly polls."

"We have called a meeting of senior Congress leaders on April 22. Gurudas Kamat will also attend the meet. We will brainstorm on the road-map on how we will take this issue to the people through various programmes and expose the BJP and its Government," added Vaghela.

PTI