The Hindu - International

Modi will ‰nish his third term as PM: Amit Shah

The BJP leader claims that the party will win more than 200 seats in the Žrst three phases of polling, sweep A.P. and win 10 seats in Telangana; says BJP is against religion-based quotas only

-

Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah on Saturday exuded con‹dence that the party is sure to win over 400 seats giving Prime Minister Narendra Modi another term in o«ce. “Mr. Modi will complete the third entire term and there is no confusion in the party about it,” he asserted, when asked if he would take over as PM mid-term.

Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah has exuded conŒdence that the party would emerge as the single largest party in the southern States, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, after the Lok Sabha election. “After the end of three phases of polling for Lok Sabha, I can say that we are going to win more than 200 seats. The fourth phase is critical and we are receiving good reports. We are going to sweep Andhra Pradesh along with our allies and also win at least 10 seats in Telangana,” he said a press conference on Saturday.

Overall, the party is sure to win over 400 seats as the people of the country have decided to give Prime Minister Narendra Modi another term in o¦ce. “Mr. Modi will complete the third entire term and there is no confusion in the party about it,” he asserted, when asked if he would take over as PM mid-term.

Mr. Shah clariŒed that his party was against religion-based quotas only.

Any person from any religion be it Hindus, Muslims or Sikhs can Œnd a place among the OBCs provided a proper socio-economic survey was done to determine the backwardne­ss of that particular caste.

‘Ful lled promises’

Mr. Shah claimed that the Modi government has fulŒlled 92% of the promises made in the previous two elections and is well on course to take the country towards the path of progress and developmen­t in all spheres even while ensuring the internal and external security is strengthen­ed to deal with terrorism and extremism.

“The choice between the electorate is very clear — between corrupt, dynastic and vote bank politics of INDIA bloc and the NDA/ BJP led by Mr. Modi against whom there is not even a 25 paise corruption charge during his years as Gujarat Chief Minister and now as PM,” he declared.

Referring to Telangana, he said both the BRS and the Congress are the same, in being corrupt and dynastic and also in bowing to All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader (Asaduddin) Owaisi. “If the BRS rule had pushed Telangana into a huge debt, the Revanth Reddy government has been funding the entire Congress party campaign for the Parliament polls having become an ATM,” he alleged.

Mr. Shah also questioned why the Congress government has been unable to take up farm loan waiver, scholarshi­ps for youth, and Œnancial assistance to women and others after promising to do the same by Sonia Gandhi’s birthday, after it came to power in December.

He also said the country will never give up Pakistanoc­cupied Kashmir (PoK) even though the Congress leaders, whether it is Mani Shankar Aiyar or others, have a di®erent opinion due to ‘appeasemen­t’ and ‘vote bank politics’. He decried Mr. Revanth Reddy questionin­g the surgical strikes and said India became only the third country after the United States and Israel to do so.

The Home Minister reiterated that the Modi government had not touched quotas for SC/ST/BCs during its two terms in power despite enjoying a majority but the issue is about reservatio­ns for Muslims against the interests of the former. “We have built Ram Temple, abrogated Article 370 and initiated the Uniform Civil Code (UCC),” he added. Telangana BJP president and Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy, Rajya Sabha MP K. Laxman and others were present.

 ?? G. RAMAKRISHN­A ?? Poll pitch: Amit Shah and G. Kishan Reddy addressing a press meet in Hyderabad on Saturday.
G. RAMAKRISHN­A Poll pitch: Amit Shah and G. Kishan Reddy addressing a press meet in Hyderabad on Saturday.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from India