"Election has to be fought on unemployment, inflation": Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot

Gehlot also claimed that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is deliberately talking about the 'mangalsutra' issue.

"It is just sad that where is democracy heading? What the Prime Minister has said...he himself was mocked...I don't want to get into what he said about 'mangalsutra', election has to be fought on the basis of development--on the issues of unemployment, inflation, widening gap between poor and the rich," Gehlot told ANI here.

"He (PM Modi) is deliberately dragging it to 'mangalsutra'. What has that to do with the manifesto?...With the kind of language he is using. I think for the first time, the credibility of the Prime Minister has suffered a blow. People came to know that he lies..."

A few days ago, Prime Minister Modi had alleged that the Congress party has set its eyes on people's hard-earned wealth, property and 'mangalsutra' of women, and plans to seize and redistribute it.

While addressing a public meeting in Aligarh, the PM had said, "Our mothers and sisters have gold. This is not just for wearing on occasions, this is 'stree-dhan', it is considered sacred, even the law also protects it. Now, they are eyeing to change the law and seize the property of our mothers and sisters. (Congress kin azar aapki sampatti aur mangalsutra par hai.) They have their eyes on 'mangalsutra' of women. Their intention is to steal the gold of mothers and sisters."

Speaking of the opposition, the former Rajasthan CM said that the atmosphere is in favour of the Congress party and just like the first phase, the second phase of elections will be good too. "The situation of the BJP is very bad. The atmosphere is in favour of Congress, of the INDIA alliance... Results in the first phase of elections were good. Today too, it will be in our favour. This is the situation not just in Rajasthan but across the country..."

Gehlot also slammed the BJP and said, "The situation in elections is so bad that two Chief Ministers are in jail. Congress party's bank accounts have been frozen. The United Nations is speaking about us. The United States and Germany are speaking about the country..."

On BJP's slogan of 'Abki Baar, 400 paar' Gehlot said, "You can see that the Prime Minister and Amit Shah will never raise that slogan. That slogan is not being raised after the first phase. They have understood that they will not succeed..."

Later, former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot along with his family cast the vote at a polling booth in Jodhpur.

Meanwhile, his son Vaibhav Gehlot, Congress candidate from Jalore Lok Sabha seat, appealed to the people to vote for Congress, "Be it any election, our entire family goes together to cast the vote... I appeal to the people to bless the Congress party. There is a good atmosphere in Rajasthan... There is enthusiasm in the people of Jalore for Congress."

Speaking on his victory in the elections, Vaibhav Gehlot said, "I am 100% confident that people are bringing a change in Jalore this time."

Ashok Gehlot and Vaibhav Gehlot also sought blessings of their ancestors ahead of the second phase of polling.

The second phase has 88 Lok Sabha constituencies across 13 States/Union Territory including 13 in Rajasthan, 20 in Kerala, eight in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, five each in Assam and Bihar, six in Madhya Pradesh, three each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, and one each in Tripura, Manipur, and Jammu & Kashmir

With weather conditions predicted to be within normal ranges, voters can cast their vote comfortably. For the convenience of voters, meticulous arrangements have been made at all polling stations including facilities, to deal with hot weather conditions, according to the Election Commission.

According to the ECI, over 15.88 crore voters will be voting in the second phase which includes 8.08 crore male electors, 7.8 crore female electors, and 5929 third-gender electors.

A total of 4553 flying squads, 5731 static surveillance teams, 1462 video surveillance teams and 844 video viewing teams are keeping surveillance round the clock to strictly and swiftly deal with any form of inducement of voters across the 1.67 lakh polling stations, as per the ECI press note. (ANI)