Prime Minister Narendra Modi campaigns for party candidates in Odisha.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi started his campaign for party candidates in Odisha today by addressing an election rally in Sundergarh. He will also address an election rally in Sonepur later.
PM Modi is scheduled to head to Balod district of Chhattisgarh after this. This will be PM Modi's first rally in Chhattisgarh after the Lok Sabha election dates were announced last month. The PM will address a public meeting in Hathaud village near Balod district headquarters around 2pm, a BJP state spokesperson said. He will arrive at Balod from Sonepur town in Odisha.
Here are the highlights of PM Modi's election rally:
Congress sinking like Titanic, says PM Modi
"The Condition of Congress is likely Titanic, it is sinking each day. People who were with the Congress are either sinking or struggling to save their lives."
BJP President Amit Shah holds a roadshow in Gandhinagar. Mr Shah will contest Lok Sabha elections from the constituency, which has traditionally belonged to party veteran LK Advani
PM Modi addresses public meeting in Balod, Chhattisgarh:
- Congress and its allies are fighting elections to create a 'Mazboor sarkar' (helpless government), we're doing it to form a 'Mazboot Sarkar' (strong government).
- When the government is strong, the country does not sit quietly after terror attacks.
- We are fighting for nation's victory, while Congress is fighting for its own victory.
- The way that the Congress is fighting to remove the protection cover of the soldiers, I ask them whether they can be without their security cover.
PM Modi in Sonepur, Odisha:
- There is coal in Odisha, water, forests... then what is the reason that such a resourceful Odisha is backward? What is the reason that Odisha was left behind in the race to development? For the last 19-20 years, Congress or Naveen Patnaik's BJD have been ruling the state.
- Congress and Biju Janata Dal see politics in poverty. This situation has been misused by Maoists.
- People support and trust me because I have given free LPG connection to the women and free electricity connection to the needy.
- Until the Congress is here, poverty cannot be eliminated. Poverty is the biggest political tool for the Congress.
- I have travelled across India and I have seen a wave. But some people can't see this massive wave.
- Generation after generations, the Congress was able to give only slogans for eradication of poverty. People got poorer and their ministers got richer. Mahanadi flows here but the region has no water or irrigation system. The farmers have to sell their paddy and cotton at dirt price when the centre has decided to provide 1.5 times of production cost. What has led to this situation in Odisha?
PM Modi in Odisha:
On surgical strike: India kills terrorists by entering inside their houses. There were governments earlier too, but they couldn't even think of surgical strikes... they didn't have the guts to cross the border by planes and kill the terrorists. Your 'chowkidar' is carrying out strikes at terrorist havens, while Congress is trying to remove the key powers of the soldiers.
On BJP: In this long journey, the party has been guided by many activists including Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, Kushihau Thakur, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lal Krishna Advani, Jagannath Rao Joshi, Rajmata Scindia, Murli Manohar Joshi. I salute every worker of the Bharatiya Janata Party. BJP is the biggest democratic organisation in the world. We are now a strong option to Congress and other parties which were formed from within Congress.
On Odisha: The discrimination on the basis of territory that the BJD government of Odisha is doing, the same discrimination the Congress and its allies have done for decades with the entire eastern India, he says. Odisha is not poor, there is no dearth of power among the people of Odisha. There is wealth, there are resources and there are also people who will fulfill the resolution. The BJD has obstructed the implementation of financial assistance to farmers, free treatment to the poor under Ayushman yojana. It shows that they have evil and doubtful intentions.
PM Modi in Sundergarh, Odisha:
- This is the first time a prime minister has come to Sundergarh in Odisha. Today, a pradhan sewak of Odisha has come here.
- You have to decide whether you want an honest government or a corrupt government in Odisha and at the Centre.
- We are not dependent on money. It's a party of workers. They have formed the party, they have sacrificed... There are so many parties made up of money. But this party if made up of sweat -- the BJP workers' sweat. BJP workers have sacrificed everything to stand for mother India.
- From the northeast, BJP's flag is flying all across India. People of India have given place to the BJP in their hearts.
- The BJP party exists due to our hardworking Karyakartas (workers), not because of any 'Parivar' (family) or 'Paisa' (money).