Maharashtra: In Yavatmal, Modi slams Congress, attacks Sharad Pawar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually flags off trains during the inauguration of various development projects and disbursement of funds under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, at a rally in Yavatmal district, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. PTI Photo

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday slammed the Congress over pending irrigation projects in the country, especially in the Vidarbha region of eastern Maharashtra and also took a dig at the Nationalist Congress Party founder Sharad Pawar.

Speaking at a public rally in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district Modi asserted that the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will cross the 400-seat mark in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and said the next five years will see rapid development in the country.

"We (BJP-led NDA) will cross the 400-seat tally this time," Modi said ahead of the Lok Sabha polls which are likely to be held in April-May. "The coming five years will see rapid development," the Prime Minister maintained. The Lok Sabha has a total of 543 seats.

He attacked former Union minister Sharad Pawar and said when he handled the agriculture portfolio (in the Congress-led UPA government from 2004 to 2014), financial packages would be announced for farmers, but the money would be siphoned off before it could reach the beneficiaries.

Also read: Shinde govt distributing funds to BJP, Shiv Sena legislators only, alleges Sena (UBT) MLC Anil Parab

The PM said prior to 2014, the year when the BJP came to power at the Centre, of the 100 families, only 15 had access to piped water in the country.

Meanwhile, PM Modi inaugurated development projects, flagged off trains and disbursed funds under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme in the district. The Prime Minister recalled his "chai pe charcha" event in this Maharashtra district 10 years ago, newswire PTI reported.

The PM said that it is "Modi's guarantee that many irrigation schemes stalled during Congress regime have been completed". (With inputs from PTI)