'Not A Single Party Contesting 272 Seats...': PM Modi Takes A Dig At Opposition

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on opposition parties and said that no political party except BJP is contesting 272 seats in Lok Sabha polls which is a minimum number of seats required to form a government.

Attacking on Congress in Banaskantha's Deesa in Gujarat ahead of the third phase of Lok Sabha polls, PM Modi said, "If you want to form a government, then at least 272 seats are required. Except for the BJP, no political party in the country is contesting 272 seats, and then they are saying they will form the government."

"Even the royal family of Delhi is not going to vote for Congress... There is no Congress candidate where they vote... Ahmed Patel's family in Bharuch will not vote for Congress... A big Congress leader who votes in Bhavnagar, will not be able to vote for Congress. This is the condition of the Congress..," he added.

Further escalating his attack on Congress, Modi said party targeted him in 2014 as a 'tea-seller', had got such a reply from the country that the party which once used to occupy 400 seats, is now being brought down to 40 only.

He alleged that the government that was there before 2014 in Centre was only known for news of terrorism, scams and corruption all around the country.

"This Congress 'Jamat' should listen, as long as Modi is alive, there will be no reservation on the basis of religion. Reservations for SC, ST, and OBCs have been given by the Constitution, and no one can take them away," he added.

PM Modi also challenged the Congress to declare that they would not provide reservations on the basis of religion.
"Today, I want to challenge the prince of Congress and his party to declare that if they have the courage, they will never provide reservations on the basis of religion and will not play with the Constitution. They will not do this because "Dal mein kuch kaala hai," he said.

PM Modi also emphasised that as long as the BJP is there, reservations will be protected.

"The prince of Congress proudly called the entire Modi and OBC communities thieves. No opportunity is being left to spread hatred against Gujaratis. In 2024, Congress and the INDI Alliance have come up with the new lie that reservations will end. Those who are talking about 400 seats, even today, the NDA has around 360 seats in the Parliament, and parties like BJD and YSRCP, which were not in our alliance, supported us anyway. I had the strength of 400 in Parliament. But we did not commit the sin of withdrawing the reservation," PM Modi said.

Sharpening his attacks on Congress, the Prime Minister added that even today, Congress has no issues, no vision, and no passion to work. "The country was immersed in despair. I left no stone unturned in my efforts. I spent every moment in the name of my countrymen and the country. I tried to take the country out of that troubled situation. "In 2014, Congress tried to belittle me by calling me "chai wala" and doubted what I could do for the country. I was made fun of. But the country gave them such an answer that the party that once used to occupy 400 seats, now being brought down to 40 only," he said.