Page 5 - The Indian EYE 041924

BIG STORY APRIL 19, 2024 | The Indian Eye 5

different states.”
Also, coming out hard against Prime Minis-
ter Narendra Modi’s pitch to cross 400 Lok Sabha
seats in the coming polls for NDA, former Deputy
CM of Bihar and RJD leader Tejaswi Yadav said,
what is the point of crossing 400 when the Prime
Minister never talks about essential things such as
employment, farmers, youths and labourers?
“Modi Ji neither talks about jobs nor about
students, youth, farmers or labourers. He does not
talk about villages and poor people. Modi Ji does
not talk about education, health, schools or hospi-
tals. Then what is the point of crossing 400?” the
RJD leader posted on X.
He further said that if PM Modi does not
talk about the real issues, then forget about 400;
the BJP-NDA alliance will not even win 100 seats
in the Lok Sabha polls. “If Modi ji does not talk
about the real issues, then forget about 400; they
won’t be able to win 100 seats either. So instead of
Modi ji, issues should be discussed,” Tejaswi Yadav
said.
Meanwhile, Hitting out at the Bharatiya Jana- Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to the supporters during a public meeting ahead of Lok Sabha polls, in Barmer on Friday (ANI)
ta Party over its ambitious 2024 Lok Sabha elec-
tion slogan of ‘Ab ki baar 400 par”, Trinamool Con- ers are abandoning the party to join others ahead moving away from its foundational principles and
gress (TMC) leader Kunal Ghosh on Sunday said of the Lok Sabha election. Many prominent politi- losing touch with the expectations of ‘New India’.
that this time BJP won’t secure victory. Ghosh re- cians have resigned from Congress since 2020, like
called Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement Jyotiraditya Scindia, Amarinder Singh, and many
made during the West Bengal Assembly elections more. The Maharashtra Congress grappled
in 2021, where he had proclaimed ‘Abki baar 200 Gourav Vallabh, a prominent Congress in February with internal turmoil fol-
paar’. spokesperson known for his expertise in finance
“He (PM Modi) had said in Bengal in 2021 lowing the resignation of former chief
that ‘Abki baar 200 paar’ but what happened? This and economy, resigned from the party on Thurs-
day citing its perceived lack of direction and failure
time BJP will not win, a non-BJP secular govern- to effectively communicate its policies and mani- minister Ashok Chavan, along with
ment will be formed at the Centre.” TMC leader festo. other leaders exiting the state unit.
Kunal Ghosh said. In his resignation letter addressed to Congress
Earlier, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP and Former Union Minister Milind Deora
candidate for the Asansol Lok Sabha seat, Sha- chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Vallabh highlighted
concerns about the party’s stance on issues such as resigned from the Congress and sub-
trughan Sinha denounced the party’s slogan “Ab caste census and its perceived bias against the Hin-
ki baar 400 paar,” suggesting it stemmed from fear du community, stating that the party seemed to be sequently joined the ruling Shiv Sena
rather than confidence. Highlighting the role of in Maharashtra, on 14 January.
the BJP, in the recent electoral bonds case, Sinha
stated that the party misused the central agencies
to extort money from companies. But coming down heavily on the Centre led by
“The BJP is in trouble because of a big scam PM Modi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge
called the electoral bonds case. They’re accused said that the people of the country should unite
of using government agencies to get money from and fight against this “autocratic government”.
companies and giving contracts to dishonest com- Kharge also said that the manifesto released by his
panies, going against their promise of not being party will be remembered as ‘Nyay ka dastavez’.
corrupt. Because of all this, BJP’s popularity has “This manifesto of ours will be remembered
dropped a lot. Now, they’re trying to win people as ‘Nyay ka dastavez’ in the political history of the
back with the slogan ‘Ab ki baar 400 paar’ because country. The Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra, which was
they are desperate,” Sinha said. run under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, fo-
In a related development, Congress leader cused on five pillars during the yatra: Yuva Nyay,
Sachin Pilot has said that the INDIA bloc will get Kisan Nyay, Naari Nyay, Shramik Nyay and Hisse-
the majority everywhere, and if BJP had confi- dari Nyay was announced. Out of these five pillars,
dence about ‘400 seats’, then they would not have 25 guarantees emerge, and in every 25 guarantees,
poached opposition leaders. Sachin Pilot said, someone or the other gets benefited, under this,
“The public has made up their mind that the Con- we have our manifesto here...” he said.
gress and INDIA alliance will get the majority ev- The manifesto was released in Delhi by
erywhere. This election is decisive. This Lok Sabha Kharge, who was flanked by senior leaders Sonia
poll will decide the future of the nation. There is Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Former Union Finance
no wave, BJP is concerned. If they had confidence Minister P Chidambaram - who led the committee
about ‘400 paar’, then they would not have poached that drafted the document - was also present. The
opposition leaders and included Congress leaders overall theme of the manifesto is based on ‘work’,
in their party.” ‘wealth’, and ‘welfare’, the party said.
But amid such claims, the Congress party is Congress leader Rahul Gandhi (ANI) Will this be enough to counter BJP’s blitz of
facing a big challenge: several Congress party lead- “Abki baar 400 paar”?

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