Corrupt politicians without leadership qualities, policies, and right intentions will not be able to defeat the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as people want to see Narendra Modi become the prime minister again, Union minister Anurag Thakur said on Tuesday.

Thakur was responding to West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee's remarks that her party will support the Congress where it is strong in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

It was the first time that Banerjee cleared the air on TMC's stand on a possible strategy for opposition unity in the electoral battle ahead.

Interacting with media persons on the sidelines of an event here, Thakur, the Information and Broadcasting and Youth and Sports Minister, ridiculed the talks of opposition parties coming together to defeat the BJP, saying such “Thugbandhans” have always failed.

Even if the opposition leaders come on the same platform, they will play “musical chairs” with everyone eyeing the PM post, he said.

Asserting that the BJP would again win over 300 seats in the next general elections, he said Modi has been working tirelessly for the people of the country for the last 22 years.

The PM made a commitment to give 10 lakh jobs in the government sector in one year and today, after the fifth edition of issuing appointment letters to 71,000 people, including 581 people in Himachal, the total number of beneficiaries has increased to about 3.60 lakh, Thakur said.

On the political crisis in Pakistan, Thakur said, we do not want our neighbour to be a failed state and the power should not go into the wrong hands.

“Whosoever is in power in Pakistan should not aid and encourage terrorism in India,” he said.

The conditions are turning from bad to worse in Pakistan and it is reaping what it has sown, he said, adding that relations between the two nations would improve only if Pakistan vows to "crush" terrorism.

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