Without Modi, BJP may not win even 150 seats: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey
New Delhi: BJP MP from Jharkhand’s Godda, Nishikant Dubey, has openly acknowledged the centrality of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the party’s electoral fortunes, saying the BJP may not even cross 150 seats without him.
In an interview with news agency ANI, Dubey said, “If Modiji is not our leader, the BJP may not even win 150 seats.” Emphasising Modi’s unmatched appeal, he credited the Prime Minister’s personal charisma with attracting a broad voter base that traditionally did not support the BJP.
“Modiji has brought with him a voter segment that never belonged to the BJP, especially among the poor, because they have faith in him. Some may like it, some may not, but that’s the ground reality,” Dubey remarked.
The BJP MP’s comments come in the wake of the party’s third consecutive term in power, with the Modi-led NDA securing 240 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In contrast, the BJP had won 282 and 303 seats in 2014 and 2019 respectively, when it secured a majority on its own.
Dubey insisted that PM Modi remains indispensable for the party as it gears up for future elections, including 2029. “It is our compulsion to fight under Modiji’s leadership. As a party worker, I believe we need him,” he said.
Responding to recent comments by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat suggesting that BJP leaders should retire after the age of 75, Dubey dismissed any such need for the Prime Minister, saying, “As long as his body permits, we will need his leadership to achieve our goal of a developed India by 2047.”
Dubey, known for his fiery interventions in Parliament, stressed that his remarks were not meant to undermine others but merely reflect electoral realities. “The truth is that Modiji’s name alone fetches us crucial votes. That is a testament to his leadership and the people’s trust in him,” he said.
Since PM Modi assumed power in 2014, the BJP has not only won three Lok Sabha elections but also expanded its reach in several states where it previously had minimal presence.
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Three company directors held in Rs 100-crore investment fraud in Kochi
Kochi (Kerala) (PTI): Police on Sunday arrested three directors of a firm accused of cheating hundreds of investors of over Rs 100 crore through a fake investment scheme linked to agricultural tourism here, officials said.
The accused were identified as Muraleedharan, Ashik Murali and Akhil Murali, all natives of Thrissur.
The arrests were made by the Kalamassery police in connection with a fraud involving ATCOS (Agri Tourism Cooperative Society), a firm headquartered at Pathadipalam here.
Police said the company had promised high returns by collecting investments from the public in the agricultural tourism sector, but allegedly cheated hundreds of people and fled with the money.
ATCOS was registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act and operated 13 branches across various districts in Kerala, besides a branch in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, officials said.
When investors failed to receive their promised returns or the invested amount, complaints were filed with the police.
Officials said around 54 cases have been registered against the firm in 32 police stations across the state, including 29 cases at the Kalamassery police station alone.
Following instructions from Kochi City Police Commissioner K S Mahesh Kumar, a special investigation team was formed under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Shehensha and Thrikkakara ACP Manoj Kumar.
The team traced the accused to an apartment in Amala Nagar in Thrissur, where they had been hiding after secretly renting the flat, officials said.
The bank accounts of the accused have been frozen, and steps have been initiated to trace their assets, officials said.
Police also conducted a raid at the company’s office at Pathadipalam and seized several documents related to the case.
The accused were produced before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Kalamassery, which remanded them to judicial custody and sent them to Kakkanad jail.
Police said they would seek the custody of the accused for further interrogation as the investigation continues.
