Congress in ICU, Using Other Opposition Parties as Support System to Survive, Says PM Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Congress was in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and using other parties as support system to survive, observing that it was getting desperate to join hands with any party to forge a grand opposition alliance for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Modi also said the wind was blowing in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s favour and opportunist opposition parties were clutching one another’s hands to withstand its force.

He exhorted party workers to follow the mantra of ‘Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot’ to ensure the BJP's victory in the next general elections.

Addressing party workers of five Lok Sabha constituencies via the NaMo app, Modi said the BJP's biggest strength was its workers, adding that their hard work had ensured the party's historic success and progress in a short span of four years.

He attributed the party's success to its workers and their grip over their respective polling booths. “Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot (my polling booth, the strongest)...this is the only mantra and this is our strength," Modi said in a video interaction.

Replying to a question on opposition parties trying to stitch an alliance for the 2019 polls, Modi assured the party workers that the BJP will win again. "... the wind is blowing in favour of BJP, even stronger than 2014. That's why opposition parties are clutching each other's hands to save themselves from being blown away,” he said.

Describing the proposed ‘Mahagathbandhan’ (grand alliance) as an alliance of some opportunistic parties to hide their weakness, Modi said “they are trying to stitch an alliance of parties while we are trying to unite the hearts of the people”.

He further said there was confusion on policy and leadership in the proposed grand alliance and its intent was corrupt and Congress was using other parties as support system to save itself in the ICU and survive.

The Prime Minister also urged party workers to continuously interact with voters of their respective constituencies and ensure that at least 20 families and youth are working with the party in every polling booth.

He was addressing workers from five constituencies — Jaipur (Rural), Nawada, Ghaziabad, Hazaribagh, Arunachal West — in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Arunachal Pradesh respectively.

Modi, who was nominated the BJP's prime ministerial candidate this day in 2013 for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, said only in the BJP could an ordinary party worker become its leader. He also asserted that someone else could take his place tomorrow.

Talking about the work carried out by his government, Modi said ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ was not just a slogan but “our inspirational Mantra”. He said the country will not be a developed one unless everyone in it is developed and asserted his government does not discriminate on the basis of caste and religion.

Lashing out at the Congress, the Prime Minister said unlike the BJP, it is one family party. He said he felt pity for dedicated workers of the opposition party. "Many capable and committed workers of the Congress were sacrificed for interests of the family," he said.

The Opposition is resorting to lies in its campaign but today people in the country are awake while Opposition is not ready to come out of its slumber, the Prime Minister said.