BJP will have to contest beyond India to secure 400 seats, says Telangana CM Revanth Reddy

Responding to a question, Revanth said that the LS polls in the state would be a referendum on his 100-day rule.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and his family in Kodangal after voting. Photo | Express

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday launched a scathing critique of the BJP’s 'Abki Baar, 400 Paar' slogan, suggesting that achieving such a feat would require the BJP to contest beyond the borders of India.

“Winning 400 seats for the BJP is only possible if the saffron party contests in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and other countries,” Revanth said. He said that the BJP cannot cross 15 to 20 seats in southern states such as Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

“In south India, the BJP cannot even win 15 to 20 out of the 130 seats here. In the remaining 400 seats, the BJP is contesting only 336 seats. How can it win over 400 seats? Nowadays, neither Modi nor Amit Shah are quoting the slogan 'Abki Baar 400 Paar',” he pointed out.

He was speaking to reporters after casting his vote at Kodangal. The CM said that no other party would be ready to offer support to the BJP or the NDA if it falls short of the magic figure. He said that there was an undercurrent against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the country and this would be reflected in the results. Slamming the PM, Revanth said, “They called Rahul Gandhi Pappu. The fact is that they cannot even debate with Pappu.”

He also criticised the BJP for not declaring whether it would abolish Muslim reservations in Andhra Pradesh if it came to power in the state while claiming to do it in Telangana.

Responding to a question, Revanth said that the LS polls in Telangana would be a referendum on his 100-day rule. He hoped that the poll percentage for Congress would increase from 39.5% recorded in the Assembly elections. He also said that the prime minister didn’t accept his challenge of considering this election as a referendum.

Demanding that Modi clarify whether he would bow to the 75-year rule set by himself, Revanth said that the PM was born on September 17, 1950, and he would attain 75 years on September 17, 2025. “He (Modi) has to say who will be his alternative when he has fixed the age limit for BJP leaders to hold office,” he said.