BJP leader Arun Jaitley on Friday said Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra had succeeded in “robbing the brother from being in the limelight” and pushed him “out of the frame”.

“Ostensibly intended to attack Narender Modi daily in somewhat impolite language, the sister has succeeded in robbing the brother from being in the limelight. Attack Modi was the strategy but ‘dilute Rahul’ is the consequence...

“Having pushed the brother out of the frame, the sister has to realise that there is much more in politics and the country than only ‘our family’,” Mr. Jaitley said in an article.

The BJP leader also charged the Congress with showing desperation, saying the likelihood of a BJP-NDA government at the Centre headed by Mr. Modi has resulted in courtesies and rationality slipping out of the Congress’ campaign.

Mr. Jaitley also urged his own partymen and supporters to concentrate only on three issues — development, leadership and stability.

“Visibly losing the vote of India the Congress created an impression that the heart and idea of India are still a Congress property. The argument did not cut much ice.

“The eclipse of Rahul Gandhi as the de facto prime ministerial candidate of Congress is virtually complete. When he was not seen as being able to deliver, the mother stepped in. The focus has now shifted to the sister,” he said.

Mr. Jaitley said there is a streak of “misguided aggression” in the Congress, as it was trying to leave the voters more and more confused.