Prime Minister Narendra Modi has confidently declared that the BJP will become the single largest party in southern India. He asserted that the NDA alliance, led by the BJP, will secure over 400 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on June 4.
“Our strategy is consistent nationwide: ‘Phir ek baar Modi sarkar. Aur chaar June 400 paar,'” Modi stated in an interview with PTI Videos on Sunday night.
Modi addressed misconceptions about the BJP’s presence in southern states, emphasizing, “In the 2019 elections, the BJP was the largest party in the south. We will be even stronger this time, with our allies contributing additional seats.”
He confidently predicted, “We will be the single largest party in Southern India, surpassing our previous margin. We’ve already seen a significant increase in support, translating into a higher seat and vote share for us.”
Southern India holds 131 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats. Currently, the BJP has 29 seats in this region, including one independent supported by the party from Karnataka.
Modi also highlighted the growing support in eastern India, causing concern among political opponents in Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, and Delhi. He recalled a past presentation in which he detailed the developmental gaps in eastern India and noted the NDA government’s efforts to empower the region over the past decade.
“The so-called ‘red corridor’ will become a ‘saffron corridor’ in these elections,” Modi declared.
The Prime Minister stated that all indicators from the previous election phases show the NDA is leading, while the Congress and its INDI alliance partners struggle to gain a foothold.
“The blessings of the people will lead us to a record-breaking mandate. We will secure more seats from across the country, especially from the south and the east,” he said.
“NDA is on track to achieve 400 seats.”
Modi emphasized the BJP’s national presence and ideology, stating, “We have been a truly national party from Day 1, in both our geographical presence and our ideology. For us, the nation comes first. Our decisions for states like Bengal or Kerala are based on this principle.”
When asked about the national results, Modi responded, “We set a goal to cross 400 seats. After four election phases, I can confidently say our estimate was accurate, and the determination of the people is even stronger.”
Modi addressed the narrative about the BJP’s perceived weaknesses, dismissing it as a campaign of myths. He noted, “There’s an ecosystem in our nation that creates myths to mislead and undermine us. They’ve tried to paint us as an urban-centric, male-centric, north-centric, and ‘Baniya-Brahmin’ party.”
He countered these claims, stating, “The largest number of Dalit, OBC, and tribal MPs and MLAs are from the BJP. Similar myths about our presence in the south have been spread, but we are proving them wrong.” PTI VJ KR GSN
