Asserting that the BJP alone would win more than 370 seats and the NDA would cross the 400 figure in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that the Congress would be completely wiped off in 2024.

Sounding the bugle for Lok Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh while addressing a huge gathering at the ‘Janjatiya Mahasammelan’ near the Gopalpura airstrip in tribal-dominated Jhabua, Mr Modi said he had not come to campaign for elections but to express his gratitude and thank the people for showering so much love and blessings on him and the BJP.

The PM was presented with a blue waistcoat with tribal prints and a white traditional turban at the venue.

Donning the tribal waistcoat throughout his speech, the PM said, “The development and respect of tribals and poor sections is Modi’s guarantee, and fulfilling the dreams of tribals and their children is Modi’s commitment.”

Launching a scathing attack on the Congress, Mr Modi said, “Loot aur phoot Congress ke oxygen hain,” (corruption and politics of division are oxygen for Congress). Warning the people about the Congress’s tactics, the PM said the Congress would try to divide people on the lines of caste, language, religion, and areas in its last-ditch effort to come back to power in the Lok Sabha polls.

“But I know that the people of the country have realised the truth about the Congress and they will never let the Congress succeed in its motives,” Mr Modi said.

Commenting on the present condition of the opposition, especially the Congress, the PM said that no one is ready to take any responsibility there. “The Congress has sunk in its own marsh of sins and is sinking deeper with each attempt to come out of the quagmire,” the PM said.

The Prime Minister asserted, “Currently, the Congress and other opposition leaders merely abuse me because I am diligently working for the welfare of the tribals and poor.”

“The Congress never did anything for the welfare and respect of tribals during its rule and only treated them as a vote bank,” the PM charged.

He said that the reality is that, “the Congress always hated and still hates villagers, poor and tribals and did nothing for their development”.

“The Congress even tried to prevent a tribal woman (Droupadi Murmu) from becoming the President of the country,” the PM said.

“On the other hand, the BJP government, under the leadership of late PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was the first to launch a dedicated ministry for tribal welfare and provided a separate budget for tribal development works,” he said.

The PM said that the present BJP government has launched a ‘Sickle Cell Mission’ for the eradication of sickle cell disease among tribals. He said the number of forest produce on which the government ensures MSP (minimum selling price) has been increased from 10 to around 90 now. Besides, ‘Van Dhan’ centres have also been opened.

“More than 1.75 lakh beneficiaries have been provided with ‘Swamitva Patras’ today to protect them from land rights-related problems,” he said, adding that the BJP government has restored land rights to tribals.

“The PM Jan-Man yojana is also being implemented to benefit the most backward sections and tribals,” he said.

“I guarantee that three crore women would be made ‘lakhpati didi’ and drones would be provided to women farmers so that they bring an agricultural revolution by becoming the ‘Namo drone didis’,” the PM said.

Speaking about the works of the BJP’s double-engine government in Madhya Pradesh, the PM said MP was a BIMARU state during the ‘black period’ of the Congress rule in the state.

“Today, our double-engine government is providing 24 per cent more funds than the Congress for the development of railways in MP. We have provided concrete houses to 45 lakh families and ensured access to tapped water for 65 lakh families in MP,” the PM stated.

Pointing out that no tribal child must be deprived of good education, the PM said a CM RISE School would be started in Jhabua. The PM also laid the foundation of the ‘Kanti Surya Tantya Mama Bhil University’ in Jhabua.

At the mega event, Mr Modi laid the foundation stones of various projects and dedicated to the people several works worth more than Rs 7,550 crore in different parts of Madhya Pradesh.