Kolkata/IBNS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday weaponised his prime opponent Rahul Gandhi's popular "daro mat (don't be afraid)" call against the Congress leader, who switched from Amethi to Rae Bareli as a second seat to contest in the Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking at a rally in West Bengal, Modi said, "I had already told you that the prince is looking for another seat for himself due to fear of defeat in Wayanad.

"Now he had to run away from Amethi and choose the Rae Bareli seat. These people go around and tell everyone 'daro mat (don't be afraid)! I would say the same thing to them, daro mat, bhago mat (don't be afraid! Do not run!)."

Ending all speculations, Congress on Friday fielded its top leader Rahul Gandhi from Rae Bareli and Kishori Lal Sharma from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha elections.

Rahul will fight from Rae Bareli, a Congress bastion which saw his mother Sonia Gandhi win even the last time in 2019.

Sonia Gandhi, a Congress veteran, has opted out of the Lok Sabha contest by moving to the Rajya Sabha.

Rahul, the former Congress president, was defeated by Union Minister Smriti Irani in Amethi in the 2019 parliamentary elections.

Irani won the seat in 2019 five years after she was defeated by Rahul, who was the Congress vice president then.