BJP President Amit Shah, in an indirect but stinging attack on the Congress and its President Rahul Gandhi, said elections were not conducted to place "any family's prince on a throne" but for benefit of the country's 50 crore poor families.

Alleging that all the opposition parties contest elections on the basis of caste, money, muscle power, nepotism and appeasement, he said that his Bharatiya Janata Party contests on the basis of its public outreach and when in the government, it focusses on public welfare.

Amit Shah said during this public outreach, people should be told what the issues in the elections are.

"Should the elections be held just because someone's age is increasing and he wants to be Prime Minister, or any family wants to wants its 'shehzada' (prince) to be crowned, or because a family wants to come back to power?

"No, the BJP believes that elections should happen to bring hope and light into the lives of 50 crore poor families of the country. They should be conducted to strengthen the country's economy, to make it a superpower, to increase its glory, to ensure its security and to give Pakistan a resounding response (to its attempts to destabilise India)," he said.

Hailing the return of IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman from Pakistan, the BJP President cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's record in national security and criticised the opposition parties for raising questions over the air strikes by the Indian Air Force in Pakistan.

Hitting out at Gandhi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Shah said: "One should not do politics when it comes to the security of the country. Opposition parties should not indulge in 'vote bank' politics. When BJP was in opposition, it never raised any such questions."

--IANS

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