Lok Sabha Campaign Trail In Delhi Heats Up; Modi, Rahul Gandhi Take Swings

The intensity of the Lok Sabha elections rose to a higher level over the weekend with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi held election rallies in the national capital of Delhi on Saturday. These rallies ark their significant effort to garner public support ahead of the sixth phase of polling that is scheduled for May 25.

During his first rally in the city of Delhi ahead of the general elections, Prime Minister Modi took a serious dig at the opposition INDIA bloc and accused them of indulging in divisive “vote bank” politics. He claimed that the former Congress government in Delhi had transferred 123 prime properties to the Waqf Board for Muslim votes ahead of the 2014 elections.

Addressing a rally in the Yamuna Khadar area of Usmanpur in the North East Delhi constituency, where BJP’s Manoj Tiwari is contesting against Congress’s Kanhaiya Kumar, Modi took to criticizing the “opportunistic” alliance of the Congress-Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). He condemned the alliance of the two parties for the reported corruption and urged the people to vote for BJP candidates Harsh Malhotra and Praveen Khandelwal.

Modi further took to the opportunity to accuse the Congress party of coming in cohorts with the groups that promoted “vote jihad” during the 2014 elections and resulted in the transfer of prime properties to the Waqf Board. He pressed that he was sincerely committed towards the well-being of all Indians, stating, “I have never lived for myself. I am working very hard for you and the bright future of your children.”

Also read: PM Modi In Ambala Says His ‘Dhaakad’ Government Demolished The Walls Of Article 370

Amid speculation regarding the Prime Mnister’s retirement and his succession, Modi reiterated his dedication towards serving the nation and attacked the Congress-AAP alliance for their alleged role in lowering political standards and betraying public trust.

Responding to Modi’s claims and criticism, Rahul Gandhi, while speaking at a rally in Ashok Vihar for Congress’s Chandni Chowk candidate Jai Prakash Agarwal, challenged Modi to a debate. The Congress party leader accused Prime Minister Modi of avoiding accountability with regards to his alleged connections with businessmen and the “misuse” of electoral bonds.

Gandhi urged Congress and AAP workers to unite in order to ensure victory for their alliance on all of the seven Lok Sabha seats from the Delhi constituency. He took to criticizing Modi’s governance and questioned his silence on alleged financial irregularities and his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Further, addressing concerns about party defections, Gandhi pressed on the need for courageous leaders. He reiterated that if the Congress-INDIA bloc came into power they would work to reform GST and support small businesses.

The Congress candidate from the North East Delhi constituency, Kanhaiya Kumar, also addressed the rally in the Yamuna Khadar area of Usmanpur. He expressed his confidence as he challenged Bharatiya Janata Party’s’s influence in the capital and vowed to extend his campaign across Delhi.