Lok Sabha Elections 2024: ‘Congress, SP will blame EVMs for their defeat on June 4’, says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday took a jibe at opposition parties, saying the Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) will blame the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for their “defeat” on June 4, when the votes will be counted. 

Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Maharajganj, the BJP leader said, “PM Modi has crossed 310 seats in five rounds of Lok Sabha polls. Rahul Gandhi will not cross even 40 seats and Akhilesh ji will remain within four."

“Counting will take place on June 4. On the afternoon of June 4, these two princes (Rahul and Akhilesh) will hold a press conference and say that the EVM was faulty, so we lost. They have decided to blame EVM for their defeat,” Shah said. 

He said the Opposition does not have a PM candidate and says that they will have five PMs in five years. "This is not a general store but a nation of 130 crore people. Can such a PM work?" he asked.

Shah further targeted the Opposition and said Congress leaders say that Pakistan has an atom bomb but BJP people are not scared of atom bombs. “Pakistan occupied Kashmir is and will remain part of India and we will take it back.”

Referring to the Sahara scam, Shah claimed it occurred when the opposition was in power. “Arre Akhilesh (Akhilesh Yadav) the scam took place in your government. Modi ji started the refund process.”

Sahara group firms were accused of circumventing regulations with Ponzi schemes. The group has denied the charges.

The Home Minister also accused previous governments of shutting down sugar mills and promised that a new mega sugar mill would be constructed in Maharajganj if the BJP regained power.

The seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 will be held on June 1. The counting of votes will take place on June 4. 

(With PTI inputs)