State Minister for Labour Santosh Lad has said, as per his calculations, Narendra Modi will not be elected back to power in the elections.
Speaking to presspersons in Shivamogga on Monday, Mr. Lad said the BJP had been struggling to get anywhere between 180 and 220 seats in the elections. “Let me tell you, the BJP will not get more than 31% of votes this time. His popularity has dwindled. The voters’ turnout had come down drastically. How can one expect him to get re-elected?” he asked.
EVMs
Mr. Lad said that if Electronic Voting machines were not tampered with, surely the BJP would lose the election. “I am not a technical person. But I believe they can be hacked. The Supreme Court has ruled it out. I accept it. However, I feel, if they do not tamper with the EVMs, the BJP will lose this time,” he said.
In the last 10 years, during Modi’s rule, Mr. Lad said, there was zero expenditure on science, technology, and research. “This is as per Niti Ayog’s report. Besides that, the country has become the second-biggest exporter of beef,” he said.
‘Modi not seeking votes on merit’
Referring to Modi’s election campaign speeches, Mr. Lad said nowhere did the PM seek votes, citing the merits of his government. “He is engaged in criticizing Congress. Let him criticise. But, at the same time, he should speak about the merits of his government, on which the people can vote,” he opined.
Karnataka’s Minister of Labour Santosh Lad | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Referring to the issue of electoral bonds, the minister said only a person of Vishwaguru fame could commit such a fraud. “He brought in the law with the purpose of hiding the identity of the donors of electoral bonds. However, after the Supreme Court termed it unconstitutional, the PM changed his version to claim that because of his law, the details of the donors came out. How can you counter such arguments?” he wondered.
Mr. Lad maintained that the Lok Sabha elections should be fought on the national issues and policies of the current government. “We are appealing to voters to reject Modi because of his lies. He has no achievements to mention,” he said.
