Parbhani, Apr 20 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that voting in the first phase of polling was in favour of NDA which made the INDIA alliance members lose their sleep.

“The bumper voting in favour of NDA in the first phase across the country has made the INDIA Alliance members lose their sleep. I am very excited to be with my family in Parbhani, Maharashtra,” PM Modi said at the campaign rally for the MahaYuti partner Rashtriya Samaj Paksha founder and nominee Mahadev Jankar, who is pitted against the Shiv Sena candidate Sanjay Jadhav.

The Prime Minister said that the NDA needs the blessings of the people for the development of Maharashtra.

“Mahadev Jankar is my younger brother. Will you send him to the Lok Sabha or not?” asked PM Modi to the MahaYuti workers gathered for the rally.

PM Modi also took out a whistle from his pocket and gave it to Mahadev Jankar whose election symbol is a whistle. PM Modi gave a whistle to Jankar as a gift after which Jankar blew it on the stage itself.

“Due to our government’s policies, 12 lakh people in Parbhani are getting free ration. No one in these families has to sleep hungry. Such free ration will continue for the next five years as well,” PM Modi said.

He said that 17 Janaushadhi centres in Parbhani will get an 80 per cent discount on medicines while more than 1.25 lakh women have been given Ujjwala gas connections.

“In Parbhani, more than 75 per cent of households are getting tap water. More than nine lakh animals in Parbhani have been vaccinated free of charge. Any government can do this only if it is sensitive to the poor,” PM Modi said.

Attacking Congress, PM Modi said that after independence, they divided the country and also ignited the Kashmir issue and even Babasaheb Ambedkar's constitution was not allowed to apply to Jammu and Kashmir.

“Congress is like a vine, one who supports this vine gets destroyed,” PM Modi said.

He said that the Congress also did not allow Dalits to get any rights.

“Having the same mentality as the Nizam, the Congress did not allow the development of Marathwada. I appeal to people that don’t give any space to the people who have Razakar mentality,” PM Modi said.

He said that Parbhani would help make India self-reliant and that the ongoing Lok Sabha election is the beginning of the economic development of the country.

“I know the pain of the poor. I am thinking about how to ease their pain. The opposition worked to block the schemes brought to Marathwada,” PM Modi said.