Madhusudan Mistry calls Modi for debate

VADODARA: Senior Congress leader and Vadodara Lok Sabha candidate Madhusudan Mistry said on Sunday that he came to Vadodara as chief minister Narendra Modi didn't accept his challenge to contest from Sabarkantha. On his first visit to the city after being declared Congress candidate from Vadodara, Mistry even challenged Modi, who is BJP's prime ministerial candidate, for a one-to-one debate over development and other issues.
"I had challenged Modi to contest from Sabarkantha, but he didn't accept it. If Modi had contested from Sabarkantha, I wouldn't have come to Vadodara to contest against him. I will defeat Modi in Vadodara and the BJP's PM candidate will lose from Varanasi too. Modi thinks that he has chosen safe seats. But the fact that he chose two seats shows he is scared," Mistry said.
I challenge Modi to have a one-to-one public debate and let the people decide. People want to know the policies and vision of BJP's candidate," Mistry, who is general secretary of All India Congress Committee (AICC), added.
Asserting his connections with the cultural capital of Gujarat, Mistry said, "If I win from Vadodara I will settle here. I won't go to Sabarkantha. Vadodara has always been an attraction and I know the city better than Modi as I have studied at M S University (MSU). I played very active role in students union and I still remember the days when we all friends used to hang out at Gaylord joint near railway station."
Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president, Arjun Modhvadia said Modi always chose safe seats to contest and Vadodara will prove to be his Waterloo. "Modi looked for safe seat way back in 2002 and he is doing the same now," Modhvadia said.
"What development work has BJP done in Vadodara? Congress brought in top companies like IPCL and GSFC to the city. And the infrastructure development happening now in Gujarat cities is from UPA's JNNURM funds. When asked about internal differences in Vadodara Congress after Narendra Rawat withdrew his candidature, Mistry said all the party workers are working together for victory.