Nanded (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi, saying that in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, "Congress' sahabzade" will lose from Wayanad constituency in Kerala and he will have to look for a safer seat after that.

Addressing a rally at Nanded in Maharashtra to campaign for BJP candidates from Nanded and Hingoli seats, Modi said the information available for the first phase of Lok Sabha polls indicates that there has been a one-sided voting in favour of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Referring to Rahul Gandhi, Modi said, "After losing Amethi, the Congress' sahabzade will lose Wayanad as well. So he will have to look for a safe seat after April 26."

In an apparent reference to Sonia Gandhi, he said some INDIA bloc leaders left the Lok Sabha and moved to the Rajya Sabha as they have no courage to contest elections.

"For the first time, the family will not vote for a Congress candidate in the constituency where they live as there is no party candidate there," he said.

Modi said he has spent 10 years fixing the bad governance of the Congress regimes.

"A lot of work needs to be done," he added.

The Congress has been a barrier in the development of farmers and poor people, he alleged.

"The agriculture crisis did not happen now. It happened because of the flawed policies of Congress," Modi said.

Targeting the INDIA bloc, he said it has no face to project and people do not know whom to entrust the country's future.

"They may claim anything, but the reality is that Congress leaders have accepted defeat even before the announcement of polls," he said.

He termed the opposition alliance a grouping of selfish people who have come together to protect their corrupt practices.

He appealed to voters to come out in large numbers to exercise their voting right in the Lok Sabha elections.

"You are not doing any favour by voting. you are securing the country's future. I want to boost the morale of the party workers from the opposition. You (opposition leaders) are sure to lose the polls, but you will get a chance some day. But you must appeal to voters to vote," he said.

Modi said the INDIA bloc constituents were contesting the elections against each other in 25 per cent seats.

"After (the election results on) June 4, they will be fighting more with each other," he said.

He said that without the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, what fate would have befallen Sikhs who came from Afghanistan.

The NDA under PM Modi is seeking a stronger majority for a third consecutive term, while the constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc are hoping for a rebound after facing reverses in the 2014 and 2019 elections.

 

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Washington (PTI): US President Joe Biden has called two of his QUAD partners – India and Japan – and two of his adversaries – Russia and China – "xenophobic" nations, asserting that none of these countries, unlike the United States, welcome immigrants.

"This election is about freedom, America and democracy. That's why I badly need you. You know, one of the reasons why our economy is growing is because of you and many others. Why? Because we welcome immigrants,” Biden told his supporters at a fundraiser here on Wednesday evening.

"We look to — the reason — look, think about it. Why is China stalling so badly economically? Why is Japan having trouble? Why is Russia? Why is India? Because they're xenophobic. They don't want immigrants,” Biden, the presumptive candidate of the Democratic Party, said.

"Immigrants are what makes us strong. Not a joke. That's not hyperbole, because we have an influx of workers who want to be here and want to contribute," the president said at the Democratic Party fundraiser.

India and Japan are members of QUAD - a four-member strategic security dialogue that also includes the US and Australia.

Biden hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a State Visit last year while Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited the White House last month for an official visit.

Biden has been under attack from his opponents and the Republican Party for his immigration policies as hundreds and thousands of illegal immigrants enter the United States every month.

Immigration is a hot topic in the November 5 presidential election in which Biden will face former president Donald Trump, the presumptive candidate from the Republican Party.

Their nominations will be confirmed at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July and the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August.