NDA won’t cross 200 mark, says Cong’s Patel

Manas Dasgupta

Ahmedabad, April 20

Senior Congress leader and AICC treasurer Ahmed Patel today claimed that Narendra Modi would become “former PM” on May 23 once the votes were counted. 

Talking to mediapersons in Rajkot in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, he said he was confident that the BJP would not be able to secure more than 150-160 seats and the NDA partners together would not cross the 200 mark. 

He claimed no section of society, be it youth, traders, farmers or women, were happy with the Modi government. “In Saurashtra alone, the Congress will get at least five of the eight seats, “ he said. 

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, who was also campaigning in Gujarat today, ridiculed Patel’s claim, calling it day-dreaming. He claimed a strong pro-Modi sentiment prevailed in the country,  a clear indication that the NDA would get more seats than 

it had in 2014.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India has directed the state Home Department to provide a security cover to young Patidar leader and Congress star campaigner Hardik Patel and his ex-aide and NCP candidate for the Manavadar Assembly bypoll Reshma Patel. 

While Hardik was yesterday slapped by Tarun Gajjar, a BJP sympathiser, during an election meeting in Surendranagar, Reshma was assaulted by local BJP leaders in Vanthali town in Junagadh seat and was hospitalised. 

Following the attack on Hardik, the state Congress had written to the ECI for  directions to the state and Centre for his protection. “The BJP government will not send police protection but only spies to check on me,” he alleged, declining protection. 

The state Home Department would now assess the situation and decide on the level of security required for both Hardik and Reshma.