Hyderabad: Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India SY Quraishi on Monday took an apparent dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Ab ki Baar 400 Paar' slogan by drawing a parallel with the rates of a particular species of mango.
Taking to his X handle, Quraishi wrote that the figure of 400 plus will decrease to 250 by May-end while going down further to 175-200 in June. Towards the end he says it's the rate of Alphonso mangoes and clarifies that it has nothing to do with politics.
Incidentally, the months quoted by him coincides with the timing of the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls for the 543 seats. Staring with the first phase on April 19, the results will be declared on June 4.
"Now they are talking of 400+. Wait till end-May and it would come down to 250. By the first week of June, it should be in the range of 175-200…..I'm talking about the cost of half dozen Alphonso mangoes. Every message does not have to be about politics," he tweeted.
His post triggered sharp reactions from netizens with some saying he is attacking the Modi government and others terming him as a "mouthpiece of Gandhi family". A few users even rectified him saying this is not the correct rates or season for mango harvesting.
"We know this is how much you want for Modiji. Your hatred for Modi and BJP is known. You are mouthpiece of Gandhi family," Avinash Choubey (Modi Ka Parivar) tweeted.
Rajat Agarwala wrote, "Yes sir, we got which Alphonso Mangoes you are talking about."
"Opposite mango stall thinks this year is a game changer and they will lead the market. By June they will come to their senses. They want to take mangos from rich people and distribute it to poor. A farmer named Rahul wants to sell mangos at MRP - Minimum retail price. Lets see if he can withstand the current dispensation," another user added.
While one user criticised Quraishi for cracking such "disgusting jokes" another asked whether he has joined the Congress. There were also a few users who appreciated his sense of humour.
Quraishi, a former secretary in the Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry, was the 17th CEC.
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