Opposition coming together fearing defeat in elections: Shivraj

New Delhi:Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday attacked the opposition, saying they were coming together fearing defeat against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

"Fearing defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, they all are coming together after looking at the massive support towards Modi," Chouhan said while addressing party workers at the Vijay Sankalp rally at the Ramlila Maidan here.

Hitting out at the opposition parties for not being able to decide on a prime ministerial candidate, Chouhan said: "The opposition is unable to decide their candidate as everyone has a different opinion on it. In the south, people want Rahul Gandhi's government, Bengal wants Mamata Banerjee as Prime Minister whereas in Uttar Pradesh, people want Mayawati. There is no decision."

Taking a jibe at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, he said he was born in politics by opposing the Congress.

Chouhan said 22 opposition parties have come together as Modi has taken a tough stand on issues of corruption and also formed a special investigation team to look into the black money issue.

"Due to his tough stand on corruption and the black money, the corrupt people are calling the watchman (Modi) a thief. But the entire world knows who are thieves," he said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said the Prime Minister has taken the country to newer heights globally in the last four and a half years. "Modi has increased the respect of the country globally, wherever he goes people chant his name. Modi is god for poor, he is the identity of new India and he is the respect for India."

Asking the people to compare Modi with the 22 opposition party leaders, he said: "Is there any comparison between Modi and the 22 opposition party leaders? It is the beginning of the electoral battle, our leader has been decided but their leader has not yet been decided."

Recalling the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army across the border on the terror launch pads, Chouhan said: "Earlier, US and Israel used to carry out surgical strikes against their enemies. But now India under Modi's leadership is also capable of carrying out surgical strikes against terror."

Accusing the opposition of doing vote bank politics over the illegal refugees residing in the country, he demanded: "Should illegal refugees be sent back to their countries or not?"

Hitting out at the opposition, he said: "For their vote they did not want them to be sent back. But our government has decided to send them back."

He also said that the coming Lok Sabha elections are between a "nationalist and development-oriented government versus the unity of the opposition which wants to destroy the country".

Terming the Congress-led government in Madhya Pradesh as being handicapped, he questioned how long it will function.

"In the recently held Assembly elections, a very surprising thing happened in Madhya Pradesh. The BJP got more votes but the Congress got more seats," he said, adding that in terms of Lok Sabha parliamentary constituencies, the BJP was leading in 17 out of 29 seats.

"Yet they are short of a majority government. This government is a handicapped government. I don't know for how long it will function," he said.

Vowing that the BJP will again win more than 27 seats in Madhya Pradesh, the former Chief Minister said: "In 2014 elections, the BJP won 27 out of 29 seats. Right now looking at the vote percentage we are leading on 17.

"But I can assure you that we are going to win 27 seats again and will try to win all the 29 seats," Chouhan added.