Congress aiming to win 50 LS seats to save face: Modi in UP

Taking a swipe at the Opposition Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (May 17) said the party was aiming to win at least 50 seats in the Lok Sabha polls to save its honour.

Addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur, Modi also took a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for not contesting from Amethi, the former stronghold of the Gandhi family, which he lost to BJP leader Smriti Irani in the 2019 elections.

The prime minister said he had predicted that Rahul would not dare to contest from Amethi and this has turned out to be true.

"The further news is that to save its honour, the Congress has now launched Mission 50. The target of the Congress is to get 50 seats in the entire country by any means," he said.

The BJP has fielded Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti from Fatehpur. She is pitted against the Samajwadi Party's Naresh Uttam Patel.

Fatehpur goes to polls in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20.

(With inputs from agencies)