PM sets 370 poll target for BJP, 400+ for NDA

Modi's scathing attack on Opposition

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win at least 370 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will cross the 400 mark, Prime Minister Narendra Modi predicted on Monday as he launched a blistering attack at the Opposition and hailed the achievements of his government just months before elections.

In a combative speech in Parliament that spanned two hours, Modi drew a critical distinction between dynastic politics and second- or third-generation politicians, as he singled out the Congress for stinging criticism, accusing it of slow-peddling development, citing comments by former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi to allege that they held fellow Indians in low esteem, and accusing it of suffering from a culture that sought to "cancel" the nation's progress.

He hailed the steps taken by his government to promote women's development, purge corruption, rein in inflation, improve delivery of welfare benefits, quell violence, promote nation-building and boost the economy, saying that the steps taken in his third term will lay the foundation of the country for another 1,000 years.

"I can gauge the mood of the nation, it will definitely give NDA more than 400 seats and the BJP at least 370 seats," the PM said, citing the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, a long-held ideological goal of the BJP.