lok-sabha-elections

Updated: Jan 14, 2019 07:00 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday criticised the Opposition efforts to stitch a grand alliance against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and pitched for his party’s re-election in the coming parliamentary election, saying opportunistic alliance and dynastic parties sought to build their own empire while the ruling party wanted to empower people.

While interacting through video conference with the BJP booth-level workers of Tamil Nadu’s Mayiladuthurai, Sivaganga and Theni districts, Modi said that the opposition’s grand alliance was a short-term effort formed just for their benefits. “Opposition parties are a confused lot as we have not given them any opportunity to say that our government is not working... They have made an opportunistic alliance with the parties which were opposed to each other in the past and still perhaps do,” he said.

Modi’s comments came a day after the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party announced their alliance for the coming Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh in a bid to counter the saffron party.

Billing BJP as a party which recognised the cultural diversity of the country, the PM lauded party workers and exuded confidence they will again ensure its victory in the coming elections.

A BJP worker is driven not by any self-interest but national interest, he said, adding only in the saffron party can a person born in socially backward and economically poor family think of reaching the top. “In the BJP one only needs hard work, not big wallets, high birth or loyalty to one family. We are proud that a party with two MPs (to start off with) is ruling so many states and is running the government at the Centre,” Modi said.

“If Modi is so bad, government is not working and if the people dislike the BJP then why build these alliance... The truth is they know it is a working government, that the poor, the youth, the farmers and the women of India have a strong bond with the BJP.”

Reacting to the PM’s charges, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President Su Thirunavukkarasar said, “including Shiv Sena, many of their allies have broken their ties with BJP....”