PM Modi says NDA will get 400 plus seats, says opposition is rudderless
Modi accused the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government and the present Congress government in Telangana of being responsible and corrupt, stating the BJP was their only hope
Hyderabad/Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will win more than 400 seats as the opposition was rudderless for the seven-phase general elections, whose schedule was announced earlier in the day by chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar.
The 2024 Lok Sabha elections will be held from April 19 to June 1 in seven phases, the Election Commission of India announced on Saturday.
Addressing a public rally at Kollapur in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district, as part of his election tour of southern states, Modi said that even before the formal announcement of the poll schedule, people of the country have “announced the result that NDA would cross 400 seats this time”. On Friday, the PM addressed rallies in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
“In the last seven decades, Congress gave nothing to the country except for lies and loot and now appears totally rudderless,” Modi said. He alleged that the Congress gave the slogan of ‘garibi hatao’ in the country for decades but failed to change the lives of the poor.
“The real change happened when the country gave Modi full majority,” he said.
Modi said that there was only one guarantee for change that was “Modi’s guarantee” and asked voters whether they would give him more than 400 seats this time.
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He also highlighted several pro-poor measures of his government, including toilets, pucca houses for the poor, free vaccination and bank accounts for the poor, claiming that 250 million people emerged out of poverty in the last 10 years under the BJP rule, which has never happened before.
Observing that people have given him the opportunity to serve first as chief minister (of Gujarat) and now as PM, Modi said he has not used even a single day for himself but only worked for the 1.4 billion citizens of the country.
Making an indirect reference to the arrest by the Enforcement Directorate of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader Kalvakuntla Kavitha in connection with the Delhi liquor policy, Modi said the BRS was in partnership with other corrupt parties outside the state.
“This truth is being revealed every day. No corrupt person will be spared, I am promising the people of Telangana today. I need the blessings of Telangana in this fight against corruption,” he said.
The Enforcement Directorate on Friday arrested BRS MLC K Kavitha, daughter of former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao from Hyderabad in connection with a money-laundering probe linked to the Delhi excise policy scam case. She was remanded to ED custody for a week by a Delhi court on Saturday.
Modi accused the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government and the present Congress government in Telangana of being responsible and corrupt, stating the BJP was their only hope.
“Both the parties are culpable of impeding the growth of the state. They together have shattered every dream of development in Telangana. First, it was the BRS which plundered the state and now, it is the turn of the Congress,” he said. The Congress did the 2G scam, while the BRS resorted to corruption in irrigation. Both the Congress and BRS support the land mafia, he alleged.
The PM also raked up the recent row over a photo in which Telangana deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka was seen sitting on a small seat, whereas chief minister Revanth Reddy and other ministers were seen seated on bigger seats at a temple.
Modi said that the people of Telangana had seen how the deputy CM, who is from an SC community, was insulted. Vikramarka had clarified about the incident and denied any insult to him.
Describing Telangana as the “Gateway of the South,” Modi said his government was committed to its progress by taking up several developmental projects in the state in the last decade.
There was a tangible impact of initiatives aimed at poverty alleviation, healthcare, and infrastructure development, heralding a paradigm shift in the lives of millions, he said.
Also Read: ‘Corruption is oxygen for…’: PM Modi hits out at Cong in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi
In Kalaburagi, which is home to Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge, Modi said Karnataka has already resolved to make the saffron party a victor in the upcoming election.
“...Karnataka has resolved to make BJP win a record number of seats in the Lok Sabha elections. The election is yet to be announced and you have already announced it. Today the whole of Karnataka is saying that this time we will cross 400,” he said.
“The law and order in Karnataka have worsened. Anti-social elements are being given protection in the state. I can understand the anger that all of you have against Congress. It is such a party that no matter how many clothes they change into, their activities won’t change. The blackness of coal can be removed, but corruption can’t be separated from Congress. For these dynasts, corruption is oxygen. Therefore, the people in Karnataka have been awakened. People have come to know the truth of Congress,” he said.
The PM said that such is the “loot” of Congress that the Karnataka government does not have any money for development.
“The MLAs have been told that the government does not have money. Is this how a government operates? Even Congress has realized that they will not be able to form the government again. Therefore, Congress has only one agenda left, loot as much as you can,” he alleged.
The PM further said that the BJP was always committed to the development of Karnataka and its identity. “Wherever I go in the world, I talk about the principles of democracy that were taught to us by Jagadguru Basaveshwara. Taking inspiration from the Anubhava Mantapa, we also named Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam after it. This is the place where the G-20 Summit of leaders from around the world was held. This increased the pride and respect of Karnataka worldwide,” he said.
Reacting to his speech, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah asked Modi why his party was silent about the ‘electoral bond scam.’
In a series of X posts, Siddaramaiah said, “For a decade, you held power, promising to bring back black money from Swiss Bank, eliminate black money via demonetisation, claiming ‘Na Khaunga, Na Khane Dunga’, and being the so-called ‘Chowkidar of the Nation’. Now, it is time for you to address the issues surrounding the electoral bond scam.”
Siddaramaiah also questioned why the State Bank of India was reluctant to submit the details of electoral bonds to the top court.
“Despite the Supreme Court’s order, why is the State Bank of India (SBI) hesitant to provide complete information? If the sale and purchase of electoral bonds were conducted legally, why is SBI concealing information? Who is exerting pressure on SBI? Prime Minister @narendramodi, please respond,” he asked, urging the Supreme Court to establish a special investigation committee to probe the electoral bond row.