Bhubaneswar, May 16 (UNI) The BJP-led NDA government will not come to power at the centre and will be confined to less than 200 seats in the Lok Sabha election, All India Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said here on Thursday.
Kharge ridiculed Modi’s tall claim of securing more than 400 seats in the election, stating, “Where will the BJP get these seats from?”
Addressing a press conference here, the AICC President said Modi is facing defeat in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.
“This time, the INDIA Bloc government will come to power at the centre to save democracy, protect the constitution, and unite India,” he asserted.
He also predicted that the Naveen Patnaik government, which has ruled Odisha for 25 years, will be defeated. The Congress is rising in the state, adding that the BJD-BJP conflict will help Congress come to power in the state.
“Our fight is to save democracy and check Modi from dividing the country through his hate speech,” Kharge said.
He mentioned that the UPA 2 implemented the Food Security Act and the Right to Education, but never claimed these as guarantees. On the other hand, he noted that none of Modi’s promises,such as providing Rs. 15 lakh to every family head, doubling farmers’ incomes by 2022, and creating two crore jobs per year, have been fulfilled during his ten-year rule.
“During Modi’s regime, the country has witnessed a sharp rise in the prices of essential commodities, petrol, diesel, and LPG gas,” the Congress President added.
Regarding Odisha, Kharge said that despite ruling the state for 24 years, including 10 years in alliance with the BJP, there has been little progress. He cited an ILO report stating that Odisha accounts for 41 percent unemployment.
The Congress President slammed both the BJP and the BJD, holding them responsible for the current condition of the state. He emphasized that Odisha is rich in mineral resources, yet there has been no development under the long-standing BJD government.
Kharge described the BJD government as the most corrupt, citing the multi-crore chit fund and mining scams, and appealed to the people to oust this government from power.
The Rajya Sabha MP concluded by stating that Congress stands for five ‘nyays’ and 25 guarantees, promising that 10 kg of rice per head would be available under the food security scheme, compared to 5 kg now, if the INDI Alliance is voted to power at the centre.
