Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said his Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance will be re-elected to power with over 300 seats in the Lok Sabha. He was speaking at a rally in Khargone in Madhya Pradesh.
Khargone is one of the 59 constituencies that go to polls in the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Sunday.
Modi exuded confidence in being voted back to office. “From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, from Kutch to Kamrup, the whole nation is saying – Ab ki baar, 300 paar, phir ek baar Modi sarkar [This time around, Modi’s government will win and cross the 300 mark].”
The prime minister assured voters of fulfilling their needs and his promises to them. “This Sunday when you go to cast your vote then you will be scripting history,” he said. “After decades you will elect a majority government for a second time in a row.”
He said that he had started his election campaign from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh and was ending it in Khargone. “From a historical perspective, there is a connection between Meerut and Khargone, which is often not noticed,” he said. “Both the cities are associated with the 1857 War of Independence. “In Meerut, Indian soldiers rebelled against the British and in Khargone, freedom fighter Bhima Nayak led a tribal agitation and attained martyrdom.”
Modi referred to socialist ideologue Ram Manohar Lohia to criticise the Congress. “Fifty years ago, Lohia told [former Prime Minister] Jawaharlal Nehru that the most important issues facing women were water and sanitation,” Modi said. “I am fulfilling Lohia’s wish. After constructing toilets and giving dignity to women, I will focus my next term on ensuring clean drinking water.”
On Thursday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath had claimed that Modi has fulfilled Lohia’s dream by giving homes and power and cooking gas connections to poor citizens for the first time after Independence and suggested that he will be prime minister for 25 years.
“Dr Lohia told [former Prime Minister] Shrimati Indira Gandhiji in Parliament that this country lives in the villages,” Adityanath told PTI in an interview. “The day every poor person in this country has a toilet in his home and his fuel requirements are met, whoever is the PM then shall rule for at least 25 years.”
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