Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged people to defeat the “divisive” politics of the Congress and ensure more than 400 Lok Sabha seats for the NDA so that the goals of ‘Viksit Bharat, Viksit Karnataka’, poverty reduction and punishment for the corrupt are achieved.

Mr Modi said the INDI alliance partners will lose their sleep, looking at the turnout at the public rally. In the coming elections, voters in Karnataka have to elect their ‘development ambassadors’ and they must ensure that all 28 Lok Sabha seats of the State go to the BJP, he said.

The Prime Minister said “why are we talking of more than 400 seats. We are talking of ‘400 ke paar’ for Viksit Bharat (developed India), Viksit Karnataka, reducing poverty, eliminating terrorism, prosperity of farmers, and new opportunities for the youth.”

The nation has seen the BJP’s achievements in the last 10 years, he said. Its priorities have been development and welfare of the poor, along with an empowered India. The Congress has no agenda for development, and is only adopting different strategies, which consist of speaking lies, big lies, repeated lies, at every place, and then speak new lies, and when caught, pass on the blame to others.

“Before every election, the Congress is good only in making false promises. In Karnataka too, they are doing the same. It keeps speaking lies, attacking the Centre or Modi or other parties,” he said at a rally in Shivamogga in Karnataka.

The Congress party never intended to serve people, he said, and its only plan has been to loot people, fill own pockets. Ever since the party came in power in the State, they are using the State as an ATM, Mr Modi said. The loot has gone on so much that they are left with no money to run the government, he said.

“That is why there is a race to be a Chief Minister of the State. Somebody is CM in waiting, somebody a future CM aspirant, others include a super CM or a shadow CM, besides one collection Minister in Delhi,” he said. Karnataka is suffering due to this. In a few months, the Congress has brought a bad name to the State. “I can see the anger of the people against the Congress,” the Prime Minister said.

In this situation, he said, it is necessary that the BJP and the NDA should win every Lok Sabha seat of the State. The BJP MPs will serve the State and help in the implementation of Central schemes, the Prime Minister said.

BJP is dedicated to the deprived sections. BJP is the only party after Independence to make SCs and STs Presidents of the country. “If you vote for BJP, it will be for social justice,” he said.

He said the Congress can go to any length to grab power. The British left but the Congress continued with their legacy of divide and rule. The Congress first divided the country, then into castes, communities, religion, language. Just for power, the party divided the country, but they are not content with this and are playing dangerous games to divide the country further, he said.

The Prime Minister said one Karnataka Congress MP talked of dividing the country once again. He should have been thrown out of the party, but is being protected. The State will not allow this to happen. In this Lok Sabha election, the Congress should be cleaned off from the State, each one of its candidates, he said. On the voting days, the voters should show this determination, he said.

Mr Modi said “You must defeat their divisive mindset. The poor became poorer and their rights were snatched after Independence, they were made to cry for basic amenities.” He said his government worked to change the situation and in the last 10 years, 25 crore have come out of poverty due to my government’s focus on the poor.

In Karnataka, Ayushman yojana has helped more than 75 lakh people get free medical treatment and there are five lakh Ayushman card holders in Shivamogga alone, he said.

Attacking the Congress rally, he said yesterday in Shivaji Maidan, Mumbai, the INDI made an open declaration to destroy Shakti in Hindu religion. How would Balasaheb Thackeray have reacted to this. This land is where every young person grows up with the mantra of jai bhawani, jai Shivaji, he said.

“For me, the Indian woman represents Shakti and that is why my government’s schemes give priority to women’s schemes. No government since Independence gave so much attention to women’s welfare,” the Prime Minister said.