Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister, wrapped up the BJP’s election campaign on the last day of canvassing by stating that the BJP will be the largest party in South India. He mentioned that the BJP is expected to win more seats in states like Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, with the NDA alliance likely to be the biggest party in South India. In Telangana specifically, Shah predicted that the party would secure at least 10 seats.
Shah criticized the Congress, accusing them of wanting to surrender India’s rights over Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir due to fear of Pakistan having nuclear weapons. He highlighted former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s nuclear tests in Pokhran in 1998, which established India as a nuclear power. Shah also claimed that the Congress lacks the courage to carry out surgical strikes and airstrikes, unlike Prime Minister Narendra Modi who swiftly responded to terrorist attacks from Pakistan.
According to Shah, the ongoing elections are a battle between the NDA led by Modi and the INDI bloc led by Rahul Gandhi. He referred to comments made by Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah regarding Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities, questioning whether Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir should be given to Pakistan because of its nuclear status. Shah reiterated that PoK belongs to India and will be reclaimed.
Shah also addressed remarks made by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy about surgical strikes, challenging Reddy’s stance on the Pulwama incident. Reddy had questioned Modi’s response to the attack and the effectiveness of Indian security agencies. Shah criticized Reddy for allegedly politicizing the surgical strikes and suggested that Reddy may have misplaced his priorities.
