GUWAHATI, April 12 – The choice in the coming Lok Sabha elections in Assam would be between vote-bank politics of the Congress party and the politics of development that the National Democratic Alliance stood for. It is the politics of vote bank that has created the gravest of problems in the State, which has been under Congress rule for several decades.
Asserting this at a campaign rally of the BJP’s candidate for the Guwahati constituency, Biyoya Chakravarty, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said that the time has arrived for the electorate to bury the Congress for good, so that much needed development can be ushered in. The future of the entire country would reside on the foundation of development, he said.
Contrasting the status of drinking water availability in Assam with Gujarat, he said that while a place like Guwahati had limited access to potable water, every village in water-starved Gujarat had access to water. “This shows the difference between vote-bank politics and what can be achieved by politics of development,” Modi thundered.
He agreed with BJP leader LK Advani, who had described Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as a weak leader. “Had you been strong, you would have arrived in Assam the very next day after the blasts that killed and injured scores of people…You would have dismissed a cabinet minister who had favoured granting citizenship to Bangladeshi immigrants.”
Modi referring to the security scene in Assam said that the Congress Party has failed to ensure the safety and security of people across the State. “Vote bank politics would never eradicate terrorism from the State,” he said.
Appealing to the people of the State to vote for the NDA and the leadership of LK Advani, Modi noted that only if the NDA came to power would the fruits of development be enjoyed by the masses. “Unlike in the case of the Congress, the NDA believes that the first claim on the country’s wealth is that of the poor,” he commented.
“I have spoken at several rallies today, and I feel a change coming…the Congress Party would be finished in Assam!” the senior BJP leader claimed.
Addressing the gathering, Bijoya Chakravarty sought the blessings of the electorate, and promised a discernible difference to Guwahati and Assam when the NDA came to power.
AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary told cheering crowds that no major development has taken place in Assam during the tenure of the Congress-led UPA government. “All the major benefits that the State has enjoyed was because of the initiatives of the AGP government and the BJP government,” he remarked.
Several other BJP AGP leaders attended today’s campaign rally, including SS Ahluwalia, Sudhangshu Mittal, Dhruba Baishya and Ramen Kalita.
Our Correspondesnts add:
Nagaon: “Vote for the BJP-AGP combine and save Assam,” said Narendra Modi here today while addressing a large crowd. He said that the voters had three options – to vote for the UPA whose partners share power with Congress in New Delhi, but turn into vocal critics of the Congress in their states, or the third front that does knows neither their leader nor its objective, or vote for the NDA which will never break.
It is the wish of the people that the NDA should come to power, Modi said, adding that Advani represents nationalism and the NDA is for the welfare of India and also for Assam. Modi criticized the UPA, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in particular, because he did nothing for Assam even though he was elected from the State.
Rangiya: Narendra Modi today accused the ruling UPA government in centre and the Congress Government in Assam of failing totally in providing the basic needs of the poor and the deprived. “Both the governments are turning a deaf ear to the burning problem afflicting the common man and the development process has been completely sidelined,” he said while addressing a public rally.
Criticising the Congress, the BJP leader said that the party was only trying to play vote-bank politics in Assam to woo the voters but failed to understand the problems of the people.
Urging the people to vote for the BJP, Modi said that if elected to power his party would accord top priority to development and providing a stable government. “The State of Assam has seen no development under the Congress regime ,” Modi said adding that it was high time the people ousted the Congress by putting up a united stand.
Jorhat: “The vote bank politics patronized by the ruling Congress party has crippled India during the last 60 years”, said Narendra Modi, addressing a huge election rally at Jorhat District Sports Association (JDSA) Field here today.
The prominent BJP leader, Modi arrived here at 11-30 am to campaign for Kamakhya Tasa, the young BJP candidate of the Jorhat constituency for the ensuing LS election.
Modi further added that the illegal migrants from Bangladesh during the rule of Congress have changed the demography and socio-economic structure of Assam which is a serious threat for the indigenous people of the land.
Criticizing the Congress government and the MP of Jorhat constituency he said that the scarcity of drinking water in the district itself is the worst example of the vote bank politics of the party in power, while the river Brahamaputra is only 10 km away from the Jorhat town. Contrasting to it he presented the picture of Gujrat, where BJP government linked 1400 km of pipeline from Narmada within 700 days and provided drinking water to 8000 villages.
The insecurity of life in Assam according to the Chief Minister of Gujrat was due to the failure of the Congress government in both the state and Centre. It indicated the unheeded attitude of the government for the common folk. In Assam there occurred four blasts within a week which according to him was an astonishing instance.
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