Addressing a series of public meetings as part of his “Bharat Vijay Yatra” in Telangana on Tuesday, the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi attacked the UPA for being steeped in corruption and claimed that it will not be able to bring development to the newly carved out Telangana state.

He urged the voters to hand over the responsibility of development of the region to the BJP-led  NDA government which he predicted would come to power at the Centre.

Modi shared the dais with Jana Sena party founder and actor Pawan Kalyan at Nizamabad, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu in Mahbubnagar and with both at the fully packed Lalbahadur stadium here.

Alleging that the Congress had killed the mother, the ‘Telugu spirit’, while delivering Telangana, Modi wished that both the new states would be able to develop as there were many things above politics. “Whether we are here or not, the country will be there forever. Nation is first,” he said.

“There are many unscrupulous people who are aspiring to rule, but if you won’t elect Modi then how can I send all the development material for construction of Telangana through the pipeline?” Modi asked, stressing the need to elect BJP-TDP supported candidates.

He said Telangana became a reality because of the 1,000 people who sacrificed their lives and not because of Congress. “You gave power to Congress, it gave you naxalism, but I will give Telangana youth a “bhagya rekha”, not a line dividing two states. In Congress rule, there is no Jai Jawan Jai Kisan, but only Mar Jawan Mar Kisan,” he said.

Kalyan attacked the TRS for creating bad blood among Telugu-speaking people. “This situation arose because of the manner in which Congress split the state,” he said. Naidu, on his part, said the massive crowds had proven that people wanted Modi to be the next PM.