Mallikarjun Kharge targets PM Modi over '400 paar' slogan

Bhubaneswar, May 17 Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday picked holes in the BJP's claims of winning more than 400 seats in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, saying the ruling party will not even cross the 200-seat mark.

"PM Modi is raising the slogan of ‘400 paar’ everywhere, but from where will they get so many seats? The BJP doesn't have any presence in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. Its chances are 50-50 in Karnataka and Maharashtra. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik used to get more seats here, but now the Congress is leading in Odisha as well,” Kharge said during a presser here on Thursday.

He also claimed that the BJP can never form government at the Centre as it is losing in many states.

“I think they can’t get more than 200 seats. Our alliance has the numbers to stop them and keep them away from power,” Kharge claimed.

The Congress President also said that PM Modi never fulfilled his promises to provide two crore jobs or doubling of farmers’ income, adding that the Prime Minister's 'guarantees' only mean a hike in the prices of petrol, diesel, fertilisers, etc.

Kharge later addressed a public gathering at Phulbani in Kandhamal district where he accused the BJP of trying to snatch the rights of Dalits, backward-class people, tribals, and minorities by destroying the Constitution.

Kharge also lashed out at the BJD government in Odisha for failing to fulfil its promise to provide irrigation facilities to 35 per cent of agricultural land in every block of the state.

Assembly and Lok Sabha elections are being held simultaneously in Odisha in four phases from May 13 to June 1. The results will be out on June 4.

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