Gorakhpur (UP), Union Minister and BJP candidate from Maharajganj seat of Uttar Pradesh, Pankaj Choudhary has said that Congress will not be able to win enough seats to get the status of main opposition party in the Lok Sabha elections.
Chaudhary, a six-time MP and prominent leader of the Kurmi community, which falls under the Other Backward Class (OBC), claimed in an interview that the BJP will get more than 400 seats in the Lok Sabha, of which 80 will be from Uttar Pradesh.
Asked if the BJP does not want a strong opposition, Choudhary, who is the Union Minister of State for Finance, said it is the people of the country who have decided to wipe out those who oppose the saffron party.
Chaudhary said, "It is not the job of the BJP to strengthen the opposition. The numbers that the Congress is bringing will not be enough to become the main opposition party. We are not doing that, the people of the country are doing that.,
He claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav "will definitely lose in UP" as the people have decided to "teach them a lesson".
Both Congress and SP are part of the opposition India faction. Rahul Gandhi is contesting from the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat vacated by his mother Soni Gandhi, while Yadav is contesting from the Kannauj seat – currently with the BJP.
With a large number of Kurmi voters in the constituency, Choudhary, who has got a BJP ticket for the ninth time, faces a challenge from India Bloc's Virendra Choudhary, a Kurmi leader and MLA from Pharenda assembly constituency in Maharajganj district.
Asked whether Kurmi votes would be divided in the constituency as the India Blow candidates are from the same community, Choudhary said, “I have been associated with the people for 33 years.,
He said, "Today the question is who will be the Prime Minister. People of all castes and classes like PM Modi. Therefore, an opponent from the same caste does not matter."
Chaudhary credited the BJP for giving due respect to the community which was once "isolated". He said, “Kurmis are with the BJP on most of the seats, so the opposition is conspiring to divide the community by adopting the policy of divide and rule… I am confident of winning this seat by a sufficient margin.,
BJP first made Choudhary its candidate for Maharajganj Lok Sabha seat in 1991 and he won the election. He regained the seat in the 1996, 1998, 2004, 201 and 2019 elections, losing only in 1999 and 2009.
Kurmis are in majority in Maharajganj and experts say the community constitutes about 10 per cent of the voters in the constituency. Kurmi constitute about 6 per cent of voters in Uttar Pradesh and the community plays a crucial role in deciding the fate of candidates on 48 out of 80 seats in the state.
The India Bloc of SP and Congress has fielded around 10 candidates each from the Kurmi community in UP, while the BJP has nominated more than half a dozen Kurmi candidates.In the 2019 Lok Sabha, seven MPs of the BJP alliance in UP were from the Kurmi community.
On BJP's 'cross 400' slogan, Chaudhary said, "In 2014, the Prime Minister had said that BJP will cross 272 and we will cross 272." In 2019 he had said that it will cross 300 and we will cross 300.
He said, "This time, the PM has talked about crossing 400 and this is not a statement. He has said this on the basis of studies, surveys and development work. We will definitely cross the 400 mark."
Criticizing opposition parties over remarks that the BJP would tamper with the Constitution if it wins more than 400 seats, Choudhary said, "In 2014, the PM touched the stairs with his forehead while entering Parliament for the first time." He called it a temple of democracy and said that the Constitution is worthy of worship.
He also targeted Congress and Trinamool Congress and accused the party of indulging in appeasement politics by promoting religion-based reservation.He said, "It is written in the Constitution itself that reservation cannot be given on the basis of religion, but Congress raised the issue of reservation for SC, ST and OBC in the Karnataka Assembly."
He said, "Four percent was given to a particular religion. Somewhere they want to do the same in the country. Trinamool Congress had also given reservation to a particular religion from SC/ST quota but the High Court canceled it. Had given." added.
Voting will be held in the seventh phase in Maharajganj on June 1. The results will be declared on June 4.
Chaudhary, a six-time MP and prominent leader of the Kurmi community, which falls under the Other Backward Class (OBC), claimed in an interview that the BJP will get more than 400 seats in the Lok Sabha, of which 80 will be from Uttar Pradesh.
Asked if the BJP does not want a strong opposition, Choudhary, who is the Union Minister of State for Finance, said it is the people of the country who have decided to wipe out those who oppose the saffron party.
Chaudhary said, "It is not the job of the BJP to strengthen the opposition. The numbers that the Congress is bringing will not be enough to become the main opposition party. We are not doing that, the people of the country are doing that.,
He claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav "will definitely lose in UP" as the people have decided to "teach them a lesson".
Both Congress and SP are part of the opposition India faction. Rahul Gandhi is contesting from the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat vacated by his mother Soni Gandhi, while Yadav is contesting from the Kannauj seat – currently with the BJP.
With a large number of Kurmi voters in the constituency, Choudhary, who has got a BJP ticket for the ninth time, faces a challenge from India Bloc's Virendra Choudhary, a Kurmi leader and MLA from Pharenda assembly constituency in Maharajganj district.
Asked whether Kurmi votes would be divided in the constituency as the India Blow candidates are from the same community, Choudhary said, “I have been associated with the people for 33 years.,
He said, "Today the question is who will be the Prime Minister. People of all castes and classes like PM Modi. Therefore, an opponent from the same caste does not matter."
Chaudhary credited the BJP for giving due respect to the community which was once "isolated". He said, “Kurmis are with the BJP on most of the seats, so the opposition is conspiring to divide the community by adopting the policy of divide and rule… I am confident of winning this seat by a sufficient margin.,
BJP first made Choudhary its candidate for Maharajganj Lok Sabha seat in 1991 and he won the election. He regained the seat in the 1996, 1998, 2004, 201 and 2019 elections, losing only in 1999 and 2009.
Kurmis are in majority in Maharajganj and experts say the community constitutes about 10 per cent of the voters in the constituency. Kurmi constitute about 6 per cent of voters in Uttar Pradesh and the community plays a crucial role in deciding the fate of candidates on 48 out of 80 seats in the state.
The India Bloc of SP and Congress has fielded around 10 candidates each from the Kurmi community in UP, while the BJP has nominated more than half a dozen Kurmi candidates.In the 2019 Lok Sabha, seven MPs of the BJP alliance in UP were from the Kurmi community.
On BJP's 'cross 400' slogan, Chaudhary said, "In 2014, the Prime Minister had said that BJP will cross 272 and we will cross 272." In 2019 he had said that it will cross 300 and we will cross 300.
He said, "This time, the PM has talked about crossing 400 and this is not a statement. He has said this on the basis of studies, surveys and development work. We will definitely cross the 400 mark."
Criticizing opposition parties over remarks that the BJP would tamper with the Constitution if it wins more than 400 seats, Choudhary said, "In 2014, the PM touched the stairs with his forehead while entering Parliament for the first time." He called it a temple of democracy and said that the Constitution is worthy of worship.
He also targeted Congress and Trinamool Congress and accused the party of indulging in appeasement politics by promoting religion-based reservation.He said, "It is written in the Constitution itself that reservation cannot be given on the basis of religion, but Congress raised the issue of reservation for SC, ST and OBC in the Karnataka Assembly."
He said, "Four percent was given to a particular religion. Somewhere they want to do the same in the country. Trinamool Congress had also given reservation to a particular religion from SC/ST quota but the High Court canceled it. Had given." added.
Voting will be held in the seventh phase in Maharajganj on June 1. The results will be declared on June 4.
