Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised the country from his parliamentary constituency Varanasi to make India the third largest economic power in his third innings.

Kicking off his 2024 election campaign, Modi said that for him, farmers, women, youth and poor and deprived were the four castes and only with 100 per cent welfare of these four castes, India would be able to become a developed nation.

Addressing the people at Barki in Sewapuri block here on Monday, the prime minister gifted projects worth more than Rs 19,000 crore to Varanasi and Purvanchal (eastern UP).

During his address, Modi communicated with the people several times in Bhojpuri. He described Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra as a mobile university for all those working in public life. “I feel most happy when the world praises Kashi,” he said.

“When Kashi develops, UP develops and when UP develops the country develops,” he said, adding that with this spirit, the projects which were launched would further accelerate the pace of development.

On this occasion, the prime minister also flagged off four trains, including the second Vande Bharat train, from Varanasi to New Delhi.

“Today the entire country, including Kashi, is committed to building a developed India. The Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra has reached thousands of villages and cities. The vehicle running in this yatra is being described by the countrymen as Modi’s guarantee vehicle,” he said, adding that it was his endeavour that no beneficiary should be deprived of whatever schemes had been made by the government for the welfare of the poor.

“Earlier, the poor used to go to the government, now the government itself is going to the poor. The biggest thing is that people have got from this is confidence. Those who have benefited from the schemes have got the confidence that their lives will get better. Those who have not got the benefits of the schemes have also got the confidence that one day they will get the benefits of the scheme. The belief within the country has also increased that India will become a developed nation by 2047,” he said.

The prime minister said that the double-engine government was continuously working to increase the income of Kashi. On the importance of drone technology in agriculture, he said that drones were going to shape the future of the country’s agricultural system. He pointed out that the government had launched NaMo Drone Didi and under this campaign, women of self-help groups (SHGs) were being given training to operate drones.

While mentioning Banas Dairy Plant, he said that its construction was going on at a fast pace in Banaras and it would be completed in the next one-two months.

Banas Dairy is investing Rs 500 crore in Kashi.

“The entire area of Purvanchal has been neglected for decades, but with the blessings of Mahadev, Modi is engaged in your service,” he said, adding that behind Modi’s guarantee was the strength of “my family of Kashi”.

On this occasion, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, state ministers Jaiveer Singh, Anil Rajbhar, Ravindra Jaiswal, Dayashanker Mishra ‘Dayalu’ and other dignitaries and a large number of people of Kashi were present.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the collective efforts of government, society and Sant Samaj were seen in the transformation of Kashi.

He was addressing a gathering after inaugurating Swarved Mahamandir in Umrah here on Monday. He called Swarved Mahamandir an epitome of this collective spirit.