Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned the public against placing trust in the INDIA bloc, stating that the Congress is akin to a vine without roots or land, and it drains those who support it. He further remarked that the Congress hindered the development of Maharashtra and was accountable for issues in Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a Vijay Sankalp meeting in Parbhani, Prime Minister Modi said, “Beware of the Congress and the INDI Alliance! Congress is such a vine, that has neither roots nor land, it dries up the one who supports it, Congress was responsible for partition. Congress was responsible for the Kashmir issue. Congress did not allow the implementation of the Constitution in Kashmir on the pretext of Article 370! Congress snatched away the rights of Dalits. Congress never allowed Maharashtra and Marathwada to develop.”
The Prime Minister compared the media discourse surrounding the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, highlighting a noticeable shift over the five years. He noted that previously, the media primarily focused on discussions related to “cross-border terrorism.”
“In 2014, when I was contesting the Lok Sabha elections for the first time, what were the topics of discussion during that time? What were the topics covered in the newspapers? What were the topics discussed on TV? At that time, the talk was of the fear of terrorist attacks. Every day there was news of bomb blasts. Five years later, in 2019, the discussion of cross-border attacks stopped and the discussion of surgical strikes started, and ‘Yeh toh Modi hai ghar mein ghus kar marega’ started…” he said.
The Prime Minister also remarked that the former Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state neglected the issues facing Maharashtra.
“The entire area of Marathwada is of farming. Black cotton, soybean, and jowar bajra are important sources of income. But Congress and MVA did not understand your troubles. The biggest challenge in this area is irrigation. During the NDA government, the Jalyukt Shivar Scheme was launched but MVA stopped this scheme,” PM said.
The Prime Minister also pointed out that Maharashtra is reaping the benefits of the Centre’s schemes.
“Today everyone is getting medicines at an 80 per cent discount from Jan Aushadhi Kendras in Parbhani. More than 1.25 lakh women have been given Ujjwala gas connections here without any discrimination,” he added.
During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP secured victory in 23 out of the 25 seats it contested in partnership with the undivided Shiv Sena. The elections for the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra are being conducted in five phases.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is vying for his third consecutive term, while the opposition coalition, INDIA, comprising various opposition parties, aims to unseat him from power in the upcoming general elections. The results of the seven-phase polls are scheduled to be announced on June 4.
The second phase is slated for April 26, followed by subsequent phases on May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1, respectively. Similarly, the last general elections in 2019 were also conducted in seven phases.