Congress-Led INDIA Bloc Plans To Have 5 PMs In 5 Years: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the Congress-led INDIA bloc is mulling a "one year, one PM" formula after coming to power which means the country will see five prime ministers in five years, a jibe over the apparent lack of consensus in the Opposition camp on its PM face.

Addressing a campaign rally at Kolhapur in western Maharashtra, PM Modi also said the opposition bloc cannot even reach a three-digit figure or even "at the doorstep of forming a government".

"They are thinking of (implementing) 'one year, one PM' formula. If they get an opportunity to remain in power for five years, there will be five prime ministers. But the country won't tolerate such people who are dreaming of imposing five prime ministers in five years." he said.

PM Modi said the Congress had planned to rotate the post of the chief minister in Karnataka by handing it to the deputy CM after 2.5 years, and such an arrangement was also planned for Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.

"They are playing this game there," he said.

The Congress wants to change the Constitution and rob Dalits, and OBCs of quota benefits for religion-based reservation, he said.

PM Modi also accused the Congress of planning to extend the "Karnataka model wherein Muslims were inducted in the 27 per cent quota for OBCs", in the entire country.

"The Congress-led alliance has vowed to murder social justice," he said and accused the Congress of stooping low for appeasement and vote bank politics.

PM Modi claimed the Congress and its allies changed their strategy and turned to "anti-national agenda" and "appeasement" tactics "after realising that they cannot compete with NDA on its development record".

"Before elections, I had said it is the 'Viksit Bharat ke sankalp ka chunav'. But the moment, the Congress and its alliance partners realised that they could not compete with NDA on its development track record, they changed their strategy and shifted to anti-national agenda and appeasement tactics," he said.

These people from the Opposition are talking about repealing CAA and restoring Article 370, but no one has the courage to change this decision of Modi, he said.

The ruling Mahayuti alliance comprising BJP, Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, and NCP led by Ajit Pawar, has fielded Sanjay Mandlik and Dhairyasheel Mane from Kolhapur and Hatkanangale constituencies, respectively.

Giving the football analogy, PM Modi said the National Democratic Alliance is leading 2-0 in the first two phases of elections.

"Kolhapur is a popular football hub in Maharashtra, and football is immensely popular among the youth here. So, if I may explain in football terms, after yesterday's second phase polling, BJP and NDA are ahead by 2.0 goals," he said.

PM Modi further said the Congress and the INDI alliance have scored two "self-goals" through their anti-India policies and politics of hate.

"The football carrier's responsibility lies with the people of Kolhapur who will hit such a goal that the INDI alliance will be vanquished in the coming rounds of elections," he said.

PM Modi said these people (read the Opposition bloc) are venting their anger on the country.

In Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Congress and INDI alliance leaders are talking about breaking south India to make a new country, he said.

"Will the people from the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who brought land from Peshawar in th north to Thanjavur in the south under Hindvi Swarajya, allow this scheme? They (INDI alliance) should get a befitting reply," he added.

PM Modi said the Congress had not only opposed the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya but also declined the invitation for its consecration.

"The Congress has stooped so low. The trustees of Ram Temple in Ayodhya are good people. They decided to forgive the past sins of Congress and handed invitations to Congress leaders by visiting their homes. But they declined the invitation. Will anyone ever decline the invitation to go to Lord Ram's darbar?" he asked.

PM Modi said Iqbal Ansari, a former litigant in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit, too attended the consecration ceremony whereas Congress declined the invitation.

Targeting Rahul Gandhi over wealth distribution, PM Modi said, "The Congress shehzade wants to search your wealth and distribute it to those who the party had said have the first right on the country's resources".

"The Congress wanted to impose inheritance tax and rob people of their inheritance. Such people shouldn't get even a slight chance of coming to power. For appeasement, Congress can go to any extent," he added.

PM Modi criticised DMK over remarks made by some of its leaders over Sanatan Dharma and termed the Tamil Nadu-based party as Congress' "khas". "It (DMK) is abusing Sanatan dharma and calling it dengue".

"Leaders from the INDI alliance invite such people from DMK to Maharashtra and felicitate them," he said.

In a veiled jibe at Uddhav Thackeray, the prime minister said the "nakli" (duplicate) Shiv Sena is siding with such people and has joined hands with those who revere Aurangzeb.

"By seeing this, what Balasaheb Thackeray would have thought had he been alive. He would have been saddened by seeing all these things," PM Modi said.

He said the Congress-led bloc has only one agenda and that is 'sarkar banao, note kamao' (form a government and earn money).

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)