Kerala, June 12: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the narrow margin of victory in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, suggesting that the Prime Minister “barely escaped” in Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency he contested.
Speaking at a public meeting in Kerala’s Malappuram, Gandhi remarked, “The truth is the Prime Minister barely escaped (from losing) in Varanasi, and he would have been defeated in Varanasi….”
He also interpreted the unexpected defeat of the BJP in Faizabad (Ayodhya) as “a message against hatred and violence.”
“Modi faced a stiff challenge in Varanasi from Congress candidate Ajay Rai. At one stage, Modi was even trailing behind his Congress rival,” Gandhi stated.
While Modi secured victory for the third consecutive time, his victory margin reduced to just over 1.5 lakh votes compared to 4.79 lakh in 2019 and 3.71 lakh in 2014.
Moreover, the BJP suffered significant losses in several parts of Uttar Pradesh, with its tally dropping from 62 in 2019 to 33 seats in 2024. The Samajwadi Party and the Congress secured 39 seats together.
Rahul Gandhi had earlier claimed that Modi would have been defeated from Varanasi had Priyanka Gandhi contested against him.
During the “Aabhaar Sabha” (thanksgiving meeting) of party workers in Rae Bareli, Gandhi stated, “The Prime Minister escaped with his life in Varanasi…. Had my sister contested the Varanasi seat, the Prime Minister would have been defeated by 2 to 3 lakh votes.”
