In Bijapur, Karnataka on April 26, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, suggesting that lately, Modi seems noticeably anxious during his speeches, even hinting that he might break down on stage. Gandhi, who is contesting to maintain his position in the Wayanad seat in Kerala, further asserted that PM Modi has deprived the underprivileged of their finances over the past decade.
Rahul Gandhi, addressing a rally in Bijapur remarked, “Presently, Narendra Modi appears highly tense during his speeches. It wouldn’t be surprising if he ends up shedding tears on stage in the near future.”
Rahul Gandhi continued, asserting that over the past decade, Narendra Modi has solely deprived the impoverished of their finances. He emphasized that Modi has distributed wealth equivalent to what 70 crore individuals possess among just 22 individuals. Gandhi highlighted the stark inequality, pointing out that 1% of the population in India controls 40% of the wealth. He pledged that the Congress Party would address unemployment and inflation by ensuring inclusive participation. Gandhi pledged to redistribute the wealth to benefit the underprivileged, matching the amounts given to billionaires by Modi’s administration.
The former Congress President affirmed that in Karnataka, the Congress government has upheld all its commitments, resulting in significant benefits for the residents. Rahul Gandhi contrasted the Congress’s approach with that of Narendra Modi, stating that while Modi enriches a select few, the Congress government aims to uplift millions to prosperity. Karnataka is currently voting on 14 seats in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections. The JD(S), in collaboration with the BJP, is contesting on three seats—Mandya, Hassan, and Kolar. Polling commenced at 7 am.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and JD-S formed an alliance to contest against the BJP, but faced a crushing defeat. The BJP secured a historic victory, claiming 25 seats, while the Congress and JD-S managed to win only one seat each.
The Lok Sabha elections are being conducted in seven phases, spanning until June 1, with the counting of votes scheduled for June 4.
The first phase of voting in the seven-phase Lok Sabha election, which is considered the world’s largest electoral process, took place on April 19 across 102 constituencies in 21 states and Union Territories. The Election Commission reported a voter turnout of over 62 percent. The third phase of the election is scheduled for May 7.