A senior Congress leader C. P. Joshi has claimed that only a Congress PM will build the Ram Mandir. Joshi, who will contest upcoming Rajasthan Assembly elections from Nathdwara constituency was speaking at a News18 event.

Accusing the BJP of ‘playing politics’ over the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, Joshi said the BJP cannot construct the temple. “Rajiv Gandhi had opened the locks at Ayodhya, not Vajpayee,” Joshi said. He added that the civil suit for title clearance is pending in the Supreme Court. “The day the judgement comes, a grand temple must be constructed,” he added.

“Congress and Congress Prime Minister will construct a grand Ram Mandir,” Joshi exclaimed while debating with BJP’s Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. In 2007, Congress had told the Supreme Court that there is no historical proof of Ram.

India is gearing up for a long election season ahead as the general elections will follow the state assembly elections which conclude on 11th December. Upcoming elections are crucial for Congress which is struggling to gain back its lost foothold.

Infighting has also plagued Congress in many states. Poll-bound Rajasthan has witnessed a war between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot, while Jyotiraditya Scindia and Digvijaya Singh have drawn swords in Madhya Pradesh. Whereas in Chhattisgarh, Congress workers created a ruckus after the party released the final list of candidates for assembly elections. We had reported how with an eye on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Gujarat Congress had distributed a piece of power pie to 400 plus people making them ‘office bearers’.

Rajasthan goes to polls on 7th December and the results will be declared on 11th December along with four other states, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Telangana.