Modi diverts questions to Shah at press meet, says BJP will win elections

The BJP will win 300 or more seats in the Lok Sabha elections and return to power, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday, speaking at a press conference where he didn't take questions.

"The election has been shandar (amazing). Elections were held in a positive spirit. A government with full majority will come back after remaining in power for five years. This is probably happening after a very long time. This is a big deal in itself," said Modi at the BJP headquaters in Delhi.

Modi sat along with BJP president Amit Shah, who first listed the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government's achievements and later took questions from journalists.

Modi said he will not answer questions because it was Shah's press conference. "We are disciplined soldiers of the party. The party president is everything for us," he said.

"The public has decided on the next government. We have promised many things in our manifesto to take the country forward. As soon as possible, the new government will take charge and we will take decisions one after another," Modi added.

He said the Indian Premier League had to be shifted out of India (in 2009 and 2014) because security was needed for elections, but under his government elections can be held when Ramzan and Easter is being commemorated.

"We ensured last-mile delivery which was a new structure of governance...Our government will take up its responsibility as soon as possible," he added.

Shah said the government had launched 133 welfare schemes and Modi personally tracked their implementation.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who spoke to the press separately, rebutted the BJP leaders by saying that he will till May 23 to know the election results.

 "I am not going to pre-judge what the people of India will decide. The mood and vision of the people will come out on May 23," he said.