Prime Minister Narendra Modi compared Congress to the bitter gourd vegetable during an election rally in Maharashtra. “Bitter gourd can never be sweet even if mixed with ghee or sugar. It also implies to Congress,” PM Modi said. 16 percent of the candidates in Lok Sabha phase-1 elections have criminal cases pending against them, a report by ADR shows. Poll strategist Prashant Kishore has advised Rahul Gandhi to step back if Congress performs poorly in upcoming Lok Sabha elections.