In an interview with Asianet News Network, PM Modi also took a dig at Rahul Gandhi over the delay and indecision on Amethi seat, considered a stronghold of Congress family, which the Congress leader lost to union minister Smriti Irani in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
In a strong swipe at Rahul Gandhi, who is re-contesting Lok Sabha elections from Wayanad, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that another parliamentary seat is expected to be announced for the Congress leader after April 26, indicating that the Congress is not confident of retaining the key constituency in Kerala. Polling in Wayanad will be held on April 26.
In an interview with Asianet News Network, PM Modi also took a dig at Rahul Gandhi over the delay and indecision on Amethi seat, considered a stronghold of Congress family, which the Congress leader lost to union minister Smriti Irani in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Rahul Gandhi had contested from two Lok Sabha seats in 2019.
"The prince of Congress flees the North and takes shelter in the South. He left for Wayanad. This time, his condition is that he is waiting to announce some other seat for himself. As soon as the polling for Wayanad is done on April 26, another seat will be announced for him. He is looking for another seat. Keep these words of mine...I had once announced in Parliament that big leaders (of Congress) were no longer gong to contest the Lok Sabha elections and they would go to the Rajya Sabha. And a month after I said this, their biggest leader (Sonia Gandhi) had to leave the Lok Sabha...so this defeat has already been accepted. So, I am completely confident this time," PM Modi said.
Sonia Gandhi, who represented Rae Bareli seat in Lok Sanha is now a Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan.Congress has not announced its candidate for Amethi and there is no certainty if Rahul Gandhi will again contest from the seat he has won thrice in the past. Answering questions from reporters, Raul Gandhi has said that he will abide by the decision of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
There is speculation that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra could contest from Rae Bareli. Congress has said the decision on two seats will be taken at "appropriate time". BJP and other parties of the NDA have been mocking Rahul Gandhi over the indecision pertaining to Amethi.While Wayanad will go to polls on April 26, Amethi will have voting on May 20.
The Congress has forged an alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh and is contesting 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also slammed state governments who have been at loggerheads with their state's Governor.
"I want to ask those who have the experience of running the government for five-six decades. Be it an enemy nation or a hostile country, they take full care missions, their security arrangements, everything. Even in enemy countries, the same amount of security and respect is given to a country's ambassador...This is my country, my state and the post of Governor is created by the Constitution. Isn't it honour and dignity the responsibility of those state governments? I have been in the state, all the Congress governors were above me. I never had any problems. I respected them, they respected me and this has been going in for years. Now, they can't bear it anymore today," PM Modi said.
He said that the dignity of constitutional posts should be maintained.
(This story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI)
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