"If the INDI alliance person becomes an MP, then what will be his work? What work will be given to him by his party?

"The parameter will be how many times you have hurled abuses at Modi in one day? How big was the abuse you hurled on Modi? Did your abuse have enough power to disturb Modi," the prime minister said.

He further said, "If you elect the INDI alliance (candidate) as the MP, his work will be to get up in the morning and hurl an abuse at Modi, two abuses in the afternoon and four to six more abuses at Modi in the evening before going to sleep."

Posing questions for the audience, the prime minister said, "You tell me... Do we hire anyone only to hurl abuses? What is the need of such persons? You need an MP who works, and does good to you, and not the one, who hurls abuses at Modi for five years."

He said the people want an MP who can develop the region.

"When there is a strong government in the country, the difference is also clearly visible. The weak government will be there today, not tomorrow. The focus of the weak government is that they complete their time (tenure)," Modi said.

There are 13 candidates in the fray in Barabanki, with the main contest between Tanuj Punia of the Congress and BJP's Rajrani Rawat.

Tanuj Punia is the son of senior Congress leader P L Punia, a former Lok Sabha MP from Barabanki (SC) Lok Sabha seat.

The BJP had fielded its sitting MP Upendra Singh Rawat from the constituency for the 2024 parliamentary elections. However, a day after an obscene video allegedly involving him surfaced on social media in March, Rawat opted out of the contest saying he will not fight any election till he is proven innocent. He also demanded an investigation into the matter.

Subsequently, the BJP gave the ticket to Rajrani Rawat.

Barabanki will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in UP on May 20.