BJPs’ prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi targeted the Congress and Samajwadi Party’s father-son duo Mulayam Singh Yadav and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for indulging in vote-bank politics and failing to alleviate the plight of the poor.
Addressing an impressive Vijay Sankhnad rally, the sixth in the series in Uttar Pradesh, held in Gorakhpur here on Thursday, Modi appealed to the people to give him a mandate of 60 months to completely change the picture of the country. He said a wind of change was blowing across the country as people wanted development on the lines of Gujarat.
While Modi lambasted the Congress for ‘chai-wala’ barbs, he said the ruling parties at the Centre and the state were mocking at the poor whom it had used only as a vote-bank without doing anything for them.
The BJP leader took a potshot at the father-son duo Mulayam Singh Yadav and his Chief Minister son Akhilesh Yadav were closely following him”.
Purvanchal is witnessing hectic political activities as both the BJP and SP leaders were trading charges against each other to gain political mileage.
The BJP leader also took a dig at Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav for saying that Modi would not be able to make Uttar Pradesh another Gujarat. Modi questioned: “Netaji, do you know the meaning of GujaratIJ It means 24-hour electricity in every village and street. You can’t do it. It requires 56-inch chest,” Modi thundered, apparently suggesting that it required decisiveness.
The BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate promised to convert the country’s huge potential into a reality so that it could match the most developed countries of the world.
“This country is not poor. The people of this rich country has been kept poor for the sake of politics... You give me 60 months and I promise you a life of happiness and peace,” he told a mammoth rally in the eastern UP town.
He added that the Congress government had miserably failed to eradicate poverty despite repeatedly projecting it as a main plank for the last 60 years.
In a sarcastic tone, he said he had been wondering why the poverty had been increasing despite the poor voting for the Congress years after years. “Now I have got the answer. The Congress’ political future lies in keeping them poor... Its mentality is anti-poor,” he added.
Apparently referring to the ‘chai-wala’ barb at him by Congress leaders, Modi said it was because of the party’s moribund mentality that “no Congress leader is ready to tolerate a tea-vendor, son of a poor mother holding his head high. They mock at the poor.”
Promising to work for boosting the development of the country, including agriculture sector, and creating job opportunities, Modi invoked Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary on Thursday as he asked the people to elect “this sevak (servant)” after giving chances to “rulers” for 60 years.
Referring to Subhash Chandra’s Bose’s famous lines:”You give me blood, I will give you freedom,” he promised: “You (people) give me 60 months and I will give you a life of peace.”
Noting that Gujarat under him had witnessed sustained high growth, the state Chief Minister said: “We don’t want to see India crying and with begging hand. I want to say that you have selected rulers for 60 years, I have come to ask only for 60 months. Elect this servant once as see.”
“If elected to power, the BJP government will bring about a white-revolution in UP which despite being an agriculture state is buying milk from outside,” Modi averred.
BJP president Rajnath Singh, former UP Chief Minister Kalyan Singh and local BJP MP Yogi Adityanath were also present at the rally.