How will BJP get over 400 seats when it is losing everywhere, asks Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday, 24 May, wondered how Prime Minister Narendra Modi was raising the slogan of winning over 400 seats when his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was losing everywhere.

He said there is every possibility of the INDIA bloc getting a majority.

Talking to reporters in his hometown Kalaburagi, Kharge said people have provided a good environment in favour of the INDIA bloc.

"It is an election between the people and PM Modi because people are frustrated today, especially due to price rise and high unemployment, he said. Also, there is a big assault happening on democracy and Indian Constitution," the Congress president added.

He said the BJP is running the administration by misusing the autonomous bodies, due to which people are upset with them and are supporting the INDIA bloc; hence, the alliance has a good opportunity.

“There is every possibility of INDIA bloc getting majority. INDIA can stop the BJP from coming to power,” Kharge said.

Asking people to wait till 4 June when the results will be out, he said the next course of action will be decided based on the outcome of election results.

When asked how many seats INDIA would get, he said he would not mention the exact number.

“I did not calculate like that because in politics such calculations are rare,” Kharge said.

According to him, the BJP is losing seats in all the states.

“How did Prime Minister Narendra Modi know that (the BJP is) getting above 400 seats when he is losing everywhere? For example, in Karnataka we had got one seat (in 2019). You should tell us whether we will get one or more. Pralhad Joshi has said Congress will win four seats. Isn’t it an increase, or is it a decrease?” the Congress president sought to know.

He said that in Telangana where Congress recently came to power, it had got two seats in 2019. The number of seats will increase this time.

“Our alliance partner DMK is intact. We will get more seats in Kerala. In Maharashtra, our ‘agadhi’ (alliance) will get more than 50 per cent. I am unable to figure out how they will get more when it (BJP's number of seats) is decreasing all over,” Kharge pointed out.

“In Rajasthan we were zero. This time we are going to get seven-to-eight seats. In MP we had (won) two seats. There too our number will gain. In Chhattisgarh we are gaining. Wherever they were 100 per cent, their number has reduced. I don’t know on what basis they are saying (400-paar),” he wondered.

“There are enough signs of the INDIA bloc getting more seats,” Kharge said.