Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the country is punishing the Congress for its "sins" and the party that had once won 400 seats is unable to contest 300 seats in this Lok Sabha election.

"In the first phase of voting, half of Rajasthan has punished Congress. Rajasthan, which is full of patriotism, knows that Congress can never make India strong," Modi said at an election rally in Jalore district.

He said that the country does not want the conditions that existed before 2014 to return.

"The Congress has hollowed out the country by spreading termites of nepotism and corruption. And today the country is angry with the Congress and is punishing it for these sins.

"The Congress party is itself to be blamed for its present condition ... The party which had once won 400 seats is unable to contest 300 seats on its own," he said.

Modi was addressing a public meeting in Bhinmal of Jalore district in support of BJP candidate Lumbaram Chaudhary.

There are 25 Lok Sabha seats in Rajasthan. The first phase of polling for 12 seats was held on April 19 and the remaining 13 will go to poll in the second phase on April 26.

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