As the final day of campaigning in Maharashtra’s upcoming elections draws to a close, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Monday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, suggesting that the BJP had “accepted defeat” by his absence from the campaign trail.

Speaking to reporters in Pune, Reddy said Modi’s week-long international tour is evidence of the BJP leaving the electoral battlefield.

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“Today is the last day for campaigning in Maharashtra. PM Modi has left the country. This means that BJP and PM Modi have accepted their defeat and they have left the battlefield,” Reddy said.

He added, “I saw some advertisements by the BJP in newspapers today, they are trying to divide the country to win elections… Staying the Prime Minister for three terms and 11 years, PM Modi has nothing to say about the works he has done.”

Reddy’s remarks come as the Prime Minister left on Saturday for the week-long tour to Nigeria, Brazil and Guyana, during which he will hold high-level meetings with global leaders.

Modi’s visit to Nigeria, at the invitation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, marks his first trip to the West African nation. During the visit, the Prime Minister was awarded with Nigeria’s second highest civilian award.

On the second leg of his tour, Modi will head to Brazil to attend the 19th G-20 Summit.

India’s role as a Troika member will be highlighted at the summit, following the success of last year’s G-20 Presidency, which focused on elevating the priorities of the Global South.

Voting for Maharashtra and second phase of voting for Jharkhand will take place on November 20. Counting will take place on November 23.