New Delhi, May 28 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday took a swipe at Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, saying that the latter will soon complete a "century of defeats" in the next election.

The reaction followed as several Congress leaders, like Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, have frequently projected LoP Gandhi as the leader who can head the INDIA bloc. However, other members of the Opposition alliance, including the Samajwadi Party and the Trinamool Congress, have displayed reluctance towards this.

Speaking to IANS, BJP chief spokesperson Navnath Ban said: "The leadership of the INDIA Bloc should be given to Rahul Gandhi because, as you know, he has lost 99 per cent of the elections so far. Next time, he will complete a 'century' of defeats."

Referring to Rahul Gandhi's purported "traitor" remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP leader said: "Rahul Gandhi keeps using inappropriate language against PM Modi. The people of the country will show who the real traitor is. Rahul Gandhi is a traitor because defaming one's own country while travelling to other nations amounts to being a traitor which he does, every time he goes abroad."

Taking a dig at Gandhi, he added: "Next time Rahul Gandhi contests an election on behalf of the INDIA Bloc, we will definitely celebrate the 'century' of his defeats."

JD(U) chief spokesperson, Neeraj Kumar, questioned the Opposition INDIA Bloc about its policy and vision.

"You (INDIA bloc) should ensure that you are not disrespecting the country’s traditions. If Rahul Gandhi can become a leader, what wrong has (RJD leader)Tejashwi Yadav done? Similarly, what wrong have been done by (Trinamool supremo) Mamata Banerjee and (DMK chief) M.K. Stalin? This needs to be clearly explained as well," he told IANS.

He further said: "Because Mallikarjun Kharge is a Dalit, does it mean that he cannot become a leader? All this can be clarified by the INDIA Bloc's leaders only."

However, reacting to the Congress' claims, Samajwadi Party leader Udayveer Singh said politicians keep making statements which do not have any significance.

"What happens in the INDIA Bloc will be decided by its leaders during meetings of the alliance," he asserted.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Hussain Dalwai stated that there is nothing to claim in this. "Rahul Gandhi has made a good image of himself. He makes visits, meets people and raises valid questions. He is a natural leader," he told IANS.

--IANS

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