Rahul Gandhi is going to be Prime Minister of this country: Revanth Reddy
Apr 17, 2024
Wayanad (Kerala) [India], April 17 : Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy exuded confidence in Congress MP Rahul Gandhi becoming the next Prime Minister of the country.
"Rahul Gandhi is going to be the Prime Minister of this country. For the last 10 years, the Prime Minister has been from Varanasi and for the coming 20 years, the Prime Minister will be from Wayanad," Reddy said speaking to ANI. He had come to Wayand to campaign for Rahul Gandhi.
Expressing doubt about the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) in this election, Reddy took a dig at the Prime Minister saying that EVM is not PM Modi's younger brother and asked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) why it fears elections through ballot paper.
"Everyone has the same doubt, even when the BJP leaders meet us in Central Hall, they say that to date PM Modi and EVM are there, you (Congress) won't be coming to power. What relation does PM Modi have with EVM? EVM is not his younger brother. Why does the BJP fear elections through ballot paper? Elections around the world are being conducted through ballot paper, only India is using EVM. We and the people have lost faith in EVM. Only the BJP has faith in it but that's not enough. People should have confidence in EVM. You should contest polls in the method people want.," Reddy said.
On Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) slogan "Ab ki baar, 400 paar', the Telangana Chief Minister said, "It's good as a slogan (BJP's 400 plus slogan) but it won't succeed as PM Modi has got two terms but he has betrayed people."
Speaking on BJP's big push in south India ahead of the elections, Reddy said that PM Modi has suddenly remembered south India only to seek votes.
"South India is in India only, why didn't he come here earlier, why didn't he release budget, give us the bullet train, GIFT City and riverfront like Sabarmati. He is remembering South India for votes," the Chief Minister said.
Ripping the BJP for not allegedly not allocating any powerful portfolio to leaders from south India in the last 10 years of governance, Reddy said that the party has no right to seek votes in the South.
"You have been the Prime Minister for 10 years. What have you given to the South? You haven't given President, Vice-President, Home Ministry, Defence Ministry to the South nor given financial allocation to South India. BJP has no right to seek votes here," the Chief Minister said.
Continuing his attack at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, CM Reddy said, "Why has he (PM Modi) not given us political representation? Are we illiterate?...When he has not respected us how come he is expecting seats from South?"
On the BJP's prospects in south India, Reddy said, "The South has banned them. They had one government in Karnataka, now they do not have it anymore."
In an attack against the Pinarayi Vijayan government in Kerala, which is in alliance with the Congress in the INDIA bloc but rivals in Kerala, Reddy claimed that the Kerala Chief Minister is coordinating with PM Modi to get respite from cases.
"BJP is doing legal corruption. All those including Pinarayi Vijayan is coordinating with PM Modi to get respite from cases. Why he (Kerala CM) is not supporting the LDF candidate in Wayanad? He is supporting Surendran (BJP's candidate). How come? This unholy alliance is visible. People are intelligent," the Telangana Chief Minister said.
Rahul Gandhi is pitted against CPI's Annie Raja and BJP's state president, K Surendran in Wayanad.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Rahul Gandhi won from Wayanad with a huge margin of over 4.31 lakh votes; the highest margin in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Kerala. He secured 64.94 per cent vote share, defeating LDF candidate PP Suneer. The NDA had fielded BDJ (S) leader Tushar Vellapally, who secured just around 78,000 votes, which accounted for a mere 7.25 per cent.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) won 19 out of 20 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. While the Congress won 15 seats, its allies Indian Union Muslim League, won two seats, the Revolutionary Socialist Party won one, and the Kerala Congress (M) won one seat. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) won one seat in Alappuzha.