Gujarat Assembly Elections 2017: PM Modi addresses the people in Prachi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed four back to back rallies in poll-bound Gujarat today, where assembly elections will be held on December 9 and 14.
The Prime Minister started his campaign today from Morbi. After that he addressed a rally in Prachi, which is near Somnath. PM Modi addressed his third rally for the day in Palitana in Bhavnagar. He addressed his last rally for the day in Navsari in south Gujarat.
The polling for the two-phase elections in the state, having total 182 assembly seats, will take place on December 9 and 14 and votes will be counted on December 18.
While 89 seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat region will go to polls in the first phase, the election in the remaining 93 constituencies in central and northern regions will be held in the second phase.
Here are the live updates of PM Narendra Modi's visit to Gujarat:
A child dressed as PM Narendra Modi welcomed him in Navsari.
"I fail to understand how someone can mock Swachh Bharat Mission and surgical strikes," PM Narendra Modi said in Navsari while referring to the grand old party.
"The Congress version of GST places salt, which a poor person wants with expensive cigarettes and alcohol. How can I allow this? Our fight is for giving the poor their rights while Congress fights for the interests of the rich," he said.
PM Modi made another reference to Rahul Gandhi's branding of GST as "Gabbar Singh" tax. "When we remember people, we remember Mahatma Gandhi, Lord Buddha, Sardar Patel, Netaji Bose, Bhagat Singh but they remember Gabbar Singh. What more can I say about their thought process," he said. Earlier in the day, he made a similar remark saying only people who loot could think of dacoits.
To counter PM Modi's rallies in the election-bound state, public meetings were also organised by Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and Hardik Patel from the Patidar community. Hardik Patel tweeted photos of his Morbi tour and said he discussed reservation and farmers' issues with the people there. Mr Gandhi is also on a two-day tour dedicated for poll-campaigning.
Attacking Congress over Doklam issue, PM Narendra Modi, while speaking to the people of Navsari, said, "On the issue of Doklam my question to Congress is clear - Why do you believe the Chinese and not our army and our foreign ministry?"
Congress loves asking me - Modi ji what did you do. I want to tell them due to our efforts, the corrupt are languishing in jail. They could also have done that but for them fighting corruption is a non-issue: PM Modi in Navsari
"During UP elections two leaders set forth to campaign and media went overboard in glorifying them. They wrote that Modi is finished. The result is for everyone to see. And, what did these two leaders do in UP? They called Gujaratis donkeys," PM Modi said in Navsari while referring to the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh where Congress forged an alliance with Samajwadi Party. However, BJP claimed a landslide victory eventually.
Predicting that Congress would be defeated in Gujarat, PM Modi said that Congress disliked Gujarat. Earlier in the day, he had said that Congress was "anti-Gujarat."
"Victory and defeat are a part of life. There was a time when our party would distribute sweets when we saved our deposits. These things happen in a democracy, Congress should not be consumed by such hatred," he said.
There are three elections going on- one in UP local bodies, one in Gujarat and the third one for the Congress President. In the first two, the BJP will surely win. And in the third one, no one except one family will win: PM Modi in Navsari
PM Narendra Modi is now addressing a rally in Navsari.
Ahead of his fourth rally in Navsari, PM Modi tweeted pictures of the rallies he addressed today from his official account.
PM Narendra Modi will now address his day's fourth election rally in Gujarat's Navsari.
While PM Narendra Modi addressed rallies in Gujarat, BJP National President Amit Shah today refuted the "Chai Wala" jibe, which was recently used by Yuva Desh, Indian Youth Congress's online magazine. Taking a dig at the grand old party, with a reference to the dynasty politics, he said, "Is it necessary to belong to the Gandhi-Nehru family to become the prime minister of the country? We are proud of the humble origins of PM Modi." Mr Shah made the remark while speaking to a news channel, BJP tweeted from its official Twitter handle.
They hate development, they hate Gujarat, they hate Modi and now they hate sweat also. That is because they have never had to sweat it out in life and work hard. They are mocking everyone who works hard. This is their mindset. Such hatred for the poor is shocking: PM Narendra Modi in Palitana
Invoking Mahatma Gandhi, who was also born in Gujarat, PM Modi said, "We have the legacy of Fakir Gandhi - the great Mahatma. They have the legacy of royalty. They were born with all privileges and are disconnected with the roots."
"If the Congress was in power the Narmada waters would never come here and the farmers would have been disadvantaged. Congress has tried everything possible to delay the project," PM Narendra Modi said in Palitana.
"When I was Chief Minister I would plead to the Congress, even Congress leaders in Gujarat that let us get the Narmada project moving, let us help our farmers. But, the Congress was not interested."
Speaking at the rally in Palitana, PM Narendra Modi again spoke about the water shortage in the region. "Do you remember the water shortage in the region? This is because the Congress controlled the tanker business. It suited them to have this shortage. The BJP has changed this in the last 22 years. We have made the tanker industry irrelevant," he said. PM Modi made similar reference about the apathy of Congress towards the water shortage in the region earlier at the rally in Morbi.
PM Narendra Modi has reached Palitana to address his third election rally for the day.
As PM Narendra Modi addresses four rallies in Gujarat today, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the BJP deserved the credit for development in Gujarat.
"Whatever Gujarat has today is all due to BJP. Result of development brought in by Modi Ji, when he was CM, can be seen today. Bhuj was destroyed in earthquake and is flourishing. Narmada's water is now available everywhere in the state. Congress & Rahul must see this," he told ANI. Yogi Aditynath-led UP is observing the third phase of civic polls today as he faces a popularity test nearly eight months after the BJP was elected to power in a landslide victory in assembly elections.
PM Narendra Modi will address his next rally in Palitana in Bhavnagar.
We want to ensure education for the children, employment for the youth and healthcare facilities for the elderly: PM Modi in Prachi
Our Sagarmala and Bharatmala project will transform the coastal economy and benefit people living on our coasts: PM Narendra Modi at the election rally in Prachi
Two days after alleging that Congress targeted him for being a tea-seller, PM Narendra Modi stressed the ruling BJP worked for poor. "There is a Government in Delhi that is for the poor. It is working continuously for the poor," he said.
PM Narendra Modi accused Congress of inaction over One Rank One Pension while speaking at election rally in Prachi. "I want to ask the Congress. What is it that you have against our army? The demand for OROP was pending for forty long years. Why did successive Congress governments do nothing about that."
"When elections were approaching, they announced a meager Rs. 500 crore for OROP when the real requirement was a lot higher. This was misleading."
Accusing the grand old party of hypocrisy, PM Modi said, "Congress is seeking votes of the OBC communities but they should answer why they did not allow OBC Commission to get Constitutional Status for all these years. We brought in the move, it was passed by the Lok Sabha but stalled in the Rajya Sabha, where Congress has majority."
"I want to assure you- Congress may try to throw any roadblocks, I am committed to ensure their designs fail. Parliament is meeting soon and we are going to bring that issue on the floor of the House again. We want to give our OBC Communities their due."
Taking a jibe at Congress President Rahul Gandhi, who is scheduled to visit Somnath temple today, PM Modi said, "If there was no Sardar Patel, the temple in Somnath would never have been possible. Today some people are remembering Somanth, I have to ask them- have you forgotten your history? Your family members, our first PM was not happy with the idea of a temple being built there."
"When Dr. Rajendra Prasad was to come to inaugurate the Somnath temple, Pandit Nehru expressed his displeasure on that. Sardar Patel dreamt about the Narmada but your family did not let that dream fulfill."
This is my second day of campaigning for the Gujarat elections. I have travelled to Saurashtra and South Gujarat. The enthusiasm is remarkable. I can see so many women who have come to bless us: PM Narendra Modi at the Prachi election rally.
After Morbi, PM Narendra Modi has reached Prachi to address the second election rally.
PM Modi is scheduled to address two more rallies in Saurashtra and one rally in Surat.
Both Saurashtra and Surat are strongholds of the Patels. The powerful and once-prosperous Patel community supported the BJP for more than two decades but is now being asked by a fiery 24-year-old, Hardik Patel, to change its stand and vote for the Congress.
PM Modi is addressing four rallies in his home state today, a day after he inaugurated the Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017 in Hyderabad along with US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump. Ms Trump praised PM Modi for having risen to his current stature from his humble origins of being a tea-seller.
Stressing that the former UPA government was anti-Gujarat, PM Modi said, "I have only talked about Narmada but there are several other issues that will illustrate how anti-Gujarat the UPA government was."
"When you vote, vote for development only. The people of Gujarat have one of their own sitting in Delhi, who is always working for the wellbeing of Gujarat," he insisted.
Training guns at the grand old party, PM Modi reiterated that Congress is anti-poor. "They have looted lots from the people already. I am here to give every penny back to the poor, which they looted all these years," he said.
Referring to the Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's barbs on GST, PM Modi said, "It is natural for those who have looted all their lives to remember only dacoits. Under their grand stupid thoughts they want basic necessities of the poor to be taxed at 18 per cent. At the same time they want cigarettes & alcohol to be cheaper. What logic is this?" Mr Gandhi has often referred to the GST as "Gabbar Singh Tax."
He further accused former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of being anti-Narmada. "We have served this region. I fought for the Narmada against the government of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and Dr. Manmohan Singh, which was anti-Narmada. All this was done for our farmers, the people of Gujarat."
PM Narendra Modi, who is speaking about issues such as water shortage at the election rally in Morbi, also mentioned farmer welfare. "Through the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana, there is an effort to help farmers in value addition and earn more," he said.
When Indira
Ben (former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi) came to Morbi,I remember there was a photo of her in Chitralekha Magazine with a hanky over her nose due to the foul smell, but for Jansangh or the RSS, the streets of Morbi are fragrant,it's the fragrance of humanity: PM Modi at the election rally in Morbi
Insisting that the BJP has been instrumental in addressing the water shortage issue in the region during its tenure, PM Modi said, "Through the SAUNI Yojana, we built huge pipelines. Dams in Saurashtra are being filled due to SAUNI Yojana. But, I do not think the Congress can see all this."
"We worked to improve the water situation but we did not stop there. BJP government brought in soil health card which has proven extremely beneficial for the farmers."
Attacking the Congress, which is trying hard to gain ground in the poll-bound state, PM Modi said, "For Congress, 'development' was giving hand pumps. For BJP, it is SAUNI Yojana and large pipelines that carry Narmada waters. We also focussed on check dams."
"In Gujarat we initiated a mass movement to conserve every drop of water. This is because we understand the adverse impact of lack of water. Development for us is not about winning polls, it is about serving every citizen," he further said.
The main issue in Kutch and Saurashtra when we came to power was water shortage. Lack of adequate water was affecting society. The BJP government changed this and got waters of the Narmada to these regions. PM Modi at the Morbi rally
"For us, what matters is the well-being of people. Even when we were not in power we were with the people of Morbi and serving society," PM Modi said at the Morbi rally.
"In good and bad times, the Jan Sangh and the BJP have stood with the people of Morbi. One cannot say the same about the Congress and their leaders."
PM Modi is speaking at the election rally in Morbi.
PM Modi has arrived in Morbi to address a public meeting.
Morbi has three assembly seats: two with BJP and one with Congress. The district has 700 ceramic tiles units and 80 Percent of India's ceramic tiles manufacturers are based here. Morbi's annual turnover is around Rs 25,000 crore and it gives employment to 10 lakh people. However, traders are angry with GST.
PM Narendra Modi is now expected to address the rally in Morbi today at 11 am. He will address four rallies and three rallies will be held in Saurashtra.
While PM Modi is back to campaigning in the state where he was in power for about 12 years after a day's break due to Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017 in Hyderabad, Rahul Gandhi also visited Gujarat last week to meet locals. Congress is trying hard to strike a chord with voters in the state where BJP has ruled for nearly two decades.
PM Modi's public meetings today coincide with Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's rallies in the poll-bound state. Mr Gandhi will kick off his two-day tour to PM Modi's home state with a visit to Somnath temple. He will visit Gir Somnath, Amreli and Bhavnagar districts.
PM Narendra Modi's first rally in Morbi was expected to begin at 9 am.