CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR: PM Narendra Modi took a swipe at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi at a campaign rally on Saturday, saying after Amethi, "Congress shehzada" will have to "run away" from Wayanad as well. The PM was in Maharashtra and Karnataka to campaign for BJP and NDA candidates.
"Shehzada is facing a difficult situation in Wayanad. Shehzada and his gang are waiting for polling on April 26 to get over so that they can find another safe seat for him. Their own alliance partners are abusing the shehzada in Wayanad. And they are using such abusive language against him, which even I have not used against him," Modi said in Nanded. He addressed two public rallies, one each in Nanded and Parbhani districts of Maharashtra.
He mentioned that surveys indicated a favourable voting pattern for NDA in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections held Friday and dismissed INDIA bloc as unable to pose a challenge.
Modi highlighted internal conflicts within the opposition alliance, stating that some INDIA bloc politicians are not actively campaigning for their candidates. "There are 25% seats, where the alliance is facing infighting and even talking about putting their partners in prison," he said.
In Parbhani, the PM criticised Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance in Maharashtra, accusing Congress and the "fake Shiv Sena" of neglecting sadhus killed in Palghar.
During a rally in Chikkaballapura, 60km from Bengaluru, which marked the PM's fourth appearance in Karnataka this election season, Modi said "big and influential" figures, both within India and abroad, have aligned to oust him from office. He expressed his gratitude for the "protective shield" he gets from "Nari Shakti" (women empowerment) and "Maatru Shakti" (motherly power), enabling him to confront and overcome challenges.
In an interview with a regional Malayalam television channel, Modi reiterated his plans to intervene in the Karuvannur Cooperative Bank scam, while denying allegations of political use of central agencies. He reaffirmed his commitment to combating corruption through agencies like ED and CBI.
He blamed Congress for the water crisis in Marathwada region of Maharashtra and in Karnataka. Referring to the water crisis in parts of Bengaluru, Modi accused Congress govt of turning the tech city into a "tanker city" and allowing the tanker mafia to thrive.
(Inputs from Bengaluru, Thiruvananthapuram)
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