Calling the age-old party of India 'outdated', Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress and said he is praying that it can win 40 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

In his final address in the Upper House of the Parliament ahead of the national polls and referring to CM Mamata Banerjee's recent comments, Modi said: "West Bengal has challenged you (Congress) that you cannot cross 40 seats. I pray to god that you can save 40 seats."

"I'm assured that this party is outdated in terms of thinking, and therefore they have outsourced their work," Modi said in his Motion of Thanks in the Rajya Sabha.

Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party is eyeing to return to power for the third straight term this year.

Beating the Congress-led UPA government that ruled India for a decade, the Bharatiya Janata Party, under the leadership of Modi, scripted a landslide victory in 2014.

It returned to power for the second term after recording another landmark victory in 2019.

Attacking Congress and former PM Jawaharlal Nehru, Modi said he was against favouring any kind of reservation in jobs.

"Nehru ji used to say that if SC ST OBC get reservation in jobs, government work standards will fall," he was quoted as saying in the Upper House.

He said his government's third term is not far away and it will focus on establishing 'viksit Bharat'.