Modi criss-crosses Guj in poll push
AHMEDABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed four rallies in Gujarat’s Saurashtra region on Sunday, the second day of his campaign blitz ahead of the elections to the 182-member assembly in December.
While the PM urged people to turn up in huge numbers to take “part in the festival of democracy”, a common theme through his addresses was the development of the state in 27 years of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s rule.
Modi, who was the state’s longest serving chief minister between 2001 and 2014, also hit out at the Congress, a party, he alleged, that was “working towards destroying Gujarat”.
The Prime Minister began his day by offering prayers at the Somnath temple, in the Gir Somnath district.
Later, addressing a rally in
Veraval town in the district, the PM urged the people to turn up in large numbers on polling day and break all the previous records of voter turnout.
Modi said Gujarat made progress despite the fact that many people used to look down upon the state in the past for various reasons, including frequent droughts. “Today, cargo from the entire north India reaches the world from our ports. These ports have become the doors to India’s prosperity,” he said.
The BJP government in Gujarat has also helped the fishermen community in increasing their income through various schemes, including the Sagarkhedu Yojana, he added.
In the 2017 assembly polls, the Congress won all the four assembly segments in Gir Somnath district — Talala, Una, Kodinar and Somnath. On Sunday, the
PM was canvassing for four BJP candidates from the district.
“In this election, I want people to turn up in large numbers at their respective polling booths on the voting day and break all the previous records of voter turnout. I am not saying you should vote for the BJP only. Just ensure that each and every citizen takes part in this festival of democracy,” Modi said in his address.
“Another thing I want from you is to make sure the BJP wins each and every booth here. Will you do it for me? This time, my focus is to win all the polling booths here. If you will help me in achieving this, these four BJP candidates will automatically reach the assembly in Gandhinagar,” the PM said.
“I want to ensure that Bhupendra (Patel) breaks the records of Narendra. We all need to work hard to take Gujarat ahead on the path of development,” he said.