People rejected 'Modi guarantee' in Lok Sabha elections: Telangana CM

Hyderabad, Jun 5 (PTI) Claiming that the people of the country have rejected 'Modi guarantee' in the Lok Sabha polls, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should quit and not accept the PM post for another term.

Speaking to reporters here, he said the NDA's campaign for the Lok Sabha elections was centred around 'Modi guarantee'.

BJP's tally of Lok Sabha seats declined from 303 in 2019 to 240 now, he said.

"That means, people of the country rejected Modi guarantee," said Revanth Reddy, who is also president of the Congress in Telangana.

While BJP and NDA got 42.9 per cent votes, the INDIA bloc secured 41.1 per cent votes which is almost equal, he claimed.

"BJP fought elections in the name of Modi's guarantee. People have rejected Modi's guarantee. The warranty of Modi's guarantee expired. People of the country have rejected Modi ji. Narendra Modi ji should quit immediately and he should not take up Prime Minister post again," Revanth Reddy said.

Noting that the BJP lost in Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh where Ayodhya is situated, he claimed that God taught a lesson to the BJP for "begging votes" in the name of Lord Ram.

The Congress won eight of the 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana which is positive but not as per expectations, he said.

"We have worked for 18 hours a day till now. We will work two hours more additionally and try to make people happy and provide people-centric governance," he said.

The Congress has lost the Malkajgiri LS seat which was represented by him earlier but won the bypoll to Secunderabad Cantonment Assembly segment which is part of the Malkajgiri Parliamentary constituency, he said.

He likened the Lok Sabha election results to the traditional 'pachadi' (chutney) consumed on the occasion of Telugu New Year, which is a mixture of various tastes, including sweet, sour, salty and bitter.

Referring to the Congress and BJP getting eight seats each out of the total 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state and BRS drawing a blank, Revanth Reddy said the two parties have increased their seats and vote share.

The vote share of BRS has declined in the state and BRS tried to help BJP in the Lok Sabha polls, he alleged.

Accusing BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao of "bargaining with BJP" at the cost of their positions, he appealed to BRS MLAs to "take decisions as per their conscience".

Replying to a query, he claimed that the BJP formed a government in Maharashtra by splitting Shiv Sena and NCP but faced defeat in the western state in the Lok Sabha elections and said it remains to be seen whether such an experiment would be done in Telangana.

BJP leaders took strong exception to Revanth Reddy's comments.

Pointing to Revanth Reddy's comments that the BRS helped BJP in the Lok Sabha elections, BJP MP-elect from Medak M Raghunandan Rao said Revanth Reddy should answer as to why leader from a neighbouring district was fielded as Congress candidate in Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency.

The Congress lost Malkajgiri seat which was represented by Revanth Reddy till recently, but the CM is not willing to discuss that, Raghunandan Rao said.

The Congress also lost in Revanth Reddy's native Mahabubnagar district and in Chevella constituency where he was the incharge, he said. PTI SJR ROH