Golaghat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with AGP leaders PK Mahanta and Atul Bora during a BJP rally at Bokakhat in Golaghat district of Assam on March 26, 2016. (Photo: IANS)
Rangapara (Assam), March 27 (IANS) A strong wind blowing across Assam is all set to uproot the ruling Congress in the forthcoming assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday and appealed to people for a decisive mandate in favour of the BJP.
He was addressing a public rally at Rangapara, located on the north bank of the Branhmaputra river, in Assam's Sonitpur district.
The two-phase assembly polls in Assam's 126 constituencies are scheduled to take place on April 4 and April 11.
"Today my programme was at 10 a.m. and I was wondering how the people will come so early? There are no roads also here. But I am happy to see such a large gathering... I assure you that I'll return this love of yours with interest by doing development works," Modi told people at the rally.
"...this time, I can see that there is a strong wind of change blowing here, which will uproot the Congress. The bad governance of 15 years will end and there will be a new sunrise of development," he said.
Targetting the Congress party for the problems of people in Assam, Modi appealed for a decisive mandate.
"When you press the button on April 4 and April 11, keep in your mind the Congress' misrule of 60 years. The reason behind your problems is only these people (Congress). Press the button in such a way that BJP and its allies get absolute majority. Never give an indecisive mandate, otherwise your future will be left insecure."
Modi said people of India gave a decisive mandate to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2014 Lok sabha polls. And now India is getting applauded worldwide.
"If you want to listen to the same applause for Assam, vote for absolute majority to BJP and its allies in the forthcoming polls."
Highlighting lack of development in Assam's northern region, Modi said: "This area is left out from development. In Assam, they spend money from state exchequer only in those assembly seats which they can win to form a government. They are not bothered about others. This is the reason why this area has remained left out from development."
Stating that there are over one crore people in Assam living below the poverty line, the prime minister said this poverty is a gift from those who have been in power for 60 years.
"We want to change Assam. Education for children, income for youth and medicine for elderly is our motto and this is alone enough to change the living standards of people of Assam," he said.
The prime minister said his dream is to provide a house to every poor man in the country by 2022.
"I know it's a big work but my country is also a big one. We sent money to Gogoiji for making houses for the poor. He assured me to work but you'll be shocked to know that only one-third of the amount given by Centre is utilised so far and the rest has been rotting in banks."
"If there is a will, change can be brought about. After our government came to power in Delhi, the Centre has spent so much money in eastern region of India for spreading the rail network which no government had spent after Independence," he said.
"I am happy that 510 km of broad gauge rail connectivity have been completed on north bank of Brahmaputra," Modi said, accusing Gogoi for betraying the people of Assam for 15 years.
On Saturday, Modi launched the BJP's campaign in the poll-bound Assam by addressing four public rallies and a citizens' meeting in four districts of the state.
