PM Modi: Congress wants to install helpless prime minister

Bagalkot/Chikkodi (Karna): The Congress wants to install a “helpless” prime minister, Narendra Modi said Thursday, making a forceful plea for people’s mandate for a strong government, focusing on national security.

Addressing two rallies in north Karnataka on the final lap of his campaign for Lok Sabha polls in the state, Mr Modi mocked the “neverending drama” marked by revenge and emotion that he said characterised the Congress-JD(-S) coalition government headed by H.D. Kumaraswamy. “If you want to see majboot sarkar (strong government)  look towards Delhi, and if you want to see majboor (helpless) government look towards Bengaluru,” he told the crowd, amid the polling for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections to 14 Karnataka seats.

Aiming big, BJP has set a target of winning 14 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, betting high on the “Modi wave”.

In the 2014 polls, BJP had bagged 17 seats. Mr Modi has held back-to-back rallies covering all the regions in Karnataka and the state BJP has not announced any more rallies before the second phase of polls on April 23.

Speaking about the “natak” (drama) by leaders that was going in Karnataka, the Prime Minister asked the crowd, “After every few days, weeks, at any rally or press conference, emotion is flowing. Do you think of Karnataka like this?”

Mr Modi was apparently taking a dig at Mr Kumaraswamy who has shed tears publicly quite often — once about being helpless as the head of the Congress-JD(S) coalition.