Eyeing 2024 from M.P., PM says Congress will use State as an ATM for the Lok Sabha poll

At a poll rally, the PM accuses the Congress of looting every State it rules, and seeking to divide society; reiterates his stance that the ‘poor are the biggest caste’

The reason the Congress is so desperate to form the government in Madhya Pradesh is because it wants to use the State as its ATM for the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in the poll-bound State’s Khandwa district on Sunday.

Even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) looks to retain power in the State, Mr. Modi said that the party would form the government at the Centre for the third time.

“But to pace up the development in M.P., I don’t need a speed-breaker here. I don’t need a government which hits breaks or is in reverse gear, but a sharp and fast BJP government,” he said, addressing his third poll rally in two days. The PM also addressed a rally in Seoni district earlier in the day.

“The Congress’ intent is clear. It wants to make M.P. its ATM for the Lok Sabha elections. It wants to loot M.P. filled with tractors. Do we have to give them that chance?” he asked the crowd.

The Prime Minister claimed that since the Congress had been out of power at the Centre for about 10 years, it was now looking at every State with “greedy eyes”.

“Wherever the Congress has formed a government by mistake, a competition of looting goes on — whether the Chief Minister will loot more or the Deputy CM. You keep hearing about Karnataka, right?” Mr. Modi said, in an attack on Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy D.K. Shivakumar.

Referring to the infamous beheading of a tailor, Kanhaiya Lal, in Rajasthan’s Udaipur last June, Mr. Modi alleged that criminals “rule” wherever the Congress is in power.