Hope Congress gets at least 40 seats, even though some in West Bengal claim they cannot: PM Modi in Rajya Sabha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday while addressing the upper house of Parliament said he hopes Congress gets at least 40 seats in West Bengal.

He said, "I pray that Congress gets at least 40 seats, even though some in West Bengal claim they cannot."

This remark came after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee last week challenged the Congress to take on the BJP in the Hindi heartland states and said she has doubts whether the grand-old party will secure "even 40 seats" in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.


"I proposed that Congress contest 300 seats (across the country where BJP is the main opposition), but they refused to heed. Now, they've arrived in the state to stir up Muslim voters. I doubt whether they will secure even 40 seats if they contested 300," Banerjee asserted.

PM Modi said, "Ek baat khushi ki rahi, unhone (Mallikarjun Kharge) jo 400 seat NDA ke liye aashirwad diya hai, aapke aashirwad mere sar aankhon par."

"I couldn't say this on that day, but I want to thank (Mallikarjun) Kharge Ji. I was listening to Kharge and enjoyed a lot. The entertainment that we are missing in Lok Sabha was completed by you (pointing to Kharge)," says PM Modi in his reply to the Motion of Thanks on President's address in Rajya Sabha.

Moreover, the Prime Minister accused Congress of creating narratives to divide country and said party is now trying to create north-south divide.

"I couldn't say this on that day, but I want to thank (Mallikarjun) Kharge Ji. I was listening to Kharge and enjoyed a lot. The entertainment that we are missing in Lok Sabha was completed by you (pointing to Kharge)," said PM Modi in his reply to the Motion of Thanks on President's address in Rajya Sabha.

We have come out from a difficult time, brought country out of its problems, the Prime Minister said.