JOIN USPrime Minister Narendra Modi addressed as many as five rallies to woo voters ahead of the first phase of Assam polls on Saturday.
He said people should vote for the BJP and its allies so that he can fulfil his promise of “fast, all-round development” of the state.
Modi also said his fight in Assam is against “poverty, corruption and destruction” and not against Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.
Gogoi has earlier claimed that this election is a fight between him and Modi. Modi also slammed the ruling Congress for “patronising” illegal migrants and rhino poachers.
The prime minister also said that if the BJP-led alliance is voted to power, kids in the schools across the country will not be taught ‘A for apple’ but ‘A for Assam’.
“I have three-point agenda. Development, fast development and all-round development. The leader of Congress who will turn 90 in a few years says his fight is with Modi. Respected chief minister, you are an elder and I am young. I pay my respects to you. In our culture, the young do not fight their elders and the elders give their blessings to them,” Modi said while addressing his first election rally of the day at Borguri in Tinsukia district. Modi arrived at Mohanbari Airport in Dibrugarh in a special flight from New Delhi.
He also lauded BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Sarbananda Sonowal.“You give me five years, you give Sarbananda five years and BJP and its allies will pull Assam out of its difficulty,” Modi said in his second meeting of the day in Majuli Island where Sonowal is contesting.
“Today, after 60 years under the Congress rule, Assam has become the fifth poorest state in the country. No development, youth are unemployed today, no electricity and drinking water. Who brought about this condition? Every village should get electricity for bringing in development, good education, to run mills and see TV. But even after 60 years of Independence even electricity poles have not reached 1,000 villages in Assam,” Modi said while addressing the rally in Majuli, an area dominated by the Mishing tribals who have been a Congress vote bank. Addressing his third rally at Narayanpur near Bihpuria in Lakhimpur district, the prime minister slammed the Congress for its “love for Bangladeshi infiltrators”.
In his fourth rally, Modi promised to stop the unabated killing of one-horned rhinos. The event was held at Bokakhat, about 50 km from the famous Kaziranga National Park in Golaghat district. He ended the day with a citizen meet in Jorhat, before leaving for New Delhi. Modi will again visit Assam on Sunday for a couple of public rallies, including one in Barak Valley.DH News Service