Lok Sabha Elections: The Congress took a swipe at the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday after the saffron party released its first list of 195 candidates for Lok Sabha elections. The grand old party raised questions after some sitting MPs were dropped from the list, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise to the people for having "thrust such 'incompetent' MPs on people" in the last five years.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said that if PM Modi's magic was waning that he had to deny tickets to some sitting MPs, asking whether he is unable to help them win in his name. He further asked whether the saffron party was under "pressure" from Union minister Ajay Mishra Teni that he was fielded once again even after "his son crushed farmers under his vehicle".
Khera said two BJP MPs Gautam Gambhir and Jayant Sinha have stated on X that they do not want to contest elections. "We don't know their reasons but we do understand that several people want to maintain distance from the BJP," he said.
"Why cancel the ticket? Were these MPs useless? If they were incompetent, then the BJP should apologize to the voters on whom such 'incompetent' MPs were imposed. Can't the magic of Modi ji's name make Meenakshi Lekhi, Pragya Thakur, Ramesh Bidhuri, Pravesh Verma win this time," Khera asked in a post in Hindi on X.
"Then a list of 195 candidates came and tickets of several sitting MPs were cut. Prime Minister Narendra Modi should tell why such people were made MPs for the last five years. Were they so incompetent that they are not fielded again by the party. The PM should apologise to the people for thrusting such wrong persons as MPs," Khera said in a video message posted on X.
Pawan Khera said that PM Modi has so much self confidence that elections are won in his name. "He should tell whether Pragya Thakur, Meenakshi Lekhi or Ramesh Biduri are unable to win on your name.
"What is the pressure of Teni on the PM that he was fielded once again even after his son 'crushed' farmers under his jeep. Has he been rewarded and whether you hate farmers so much that Teni is given a ticket again, PM should tell. Several such questions crop up after the first list of BJP and whether this is the "400 paar list" (above 400 seats)," the Congress leader asked.
The BJP has fielded Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi, UP, and Union Home Amit Shah from Gandhinagar, Gujarat, among candidates for 16 states and union territories. The first list of candidates includes 34 central ministers and MoS and Lok Sabha Speaker, he added. Twenty-eight women, and 47 young leaders are featured in BJP's first list of Lok Sabha.