New Delhi [India], June 16 (ANI): Reacting sharply to Mallikarjun Kharge's statement that NDA government had been formed by mistake and PM Modi did not have the mandate, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said they will come again for the next 5 years and accused INDIA alliance of spreading rumours like Constitution would be changed.
Speaking to ANI, Ramdas Athawale said, "Maharashtra will have Assembly polls in a few months now. We have more than 240 MLAs with us. We will come again for the next 5 years...we got less numbers this time (in Lok Sabha elections)...the reason for that is that INDIA alliance spread rumours like the Constitution will be changed."
"Uddhav Thackeray is saying that elections are to save the constitution but our polls will be to remove UBT Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar's NCP and Rahul Gandhi's Congress...," he added.
Athawale said the Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge ought to play the constructive role of an Opposition instead of repeating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not have the mandate to rule the country.
"NDA has a clear majority. We have won 292 Lok Sabha seats. I advise Mallikarjun Kharge to play the role of opposition and give constructive advice to the government," Athawale told ANI.
Athawale said that when UPA was in power the BJP did not say the Congress did not have the mandate to rule even though the party did not have the majority on its own.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, BJP won 240 seats, falling 32 seats short of the halfway mark of 272 seats. However, the prepoll NDA alliance has 292 seats, propelling PM Modi into his third consecutive term in office. (ANI)
