Gujarat Assembly Elections: Vote bank politics is Congress identity; it plays divisive politics, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at 'dynastic' and opportunistic politics of the Opposition Congress during Wednesday's four public rallies across Gujarat as electioneering reached fever pitch in the state that has seen uninterrupted BJP rule this millennium. Modi addressed rallies at Mehsana, Dahod, Vadodara, and Bhavnagar.

Speaking at Mehsana in North Gujarat, Modi said that Congress is synonymous with corruption, and that the Congress model means dynastic and communal politics. Vote bank politics is the identity of the Congress.

To stay in power, the Congress played divisive politics, Modi alleged, adding that the party pitted the cities against villages and kept people backward. This model of Congress has harmed the country, requiring significant remedial effort currently underway, he added.


In the past, voters would seek the account for corruption, electricity, water, roads etc, but in the past two decades, the BJP's commitment has ensured that done so much work that the opportunity to ask questions on electricity, water, roads etc don't even demands for the basic necessities did not arise, the prime minister said.

"BJP has done so much that the Opposition is clueless about what questions to ask," Modi said. "The farmers fought their entire lives for electricity and when they asked for power in the Congress regime, they fired at them," Modi said.

In the Congress regime, corruption was the norm even when someone sought a power connection. Later, speaking at the tribal seat of Dahod, Modi said that when Congress smells victory, it doesn't care for its electorate. But even when the BJP is assured of victory, it is still pronouncedly humble, underscoring the difference in approach between the two parties, he said.

Modi further said that the Congress had been in power from the Panchayat to parliament since independence but never remembered the tribal people. "The Congress talks about tribals only when elections approach and go away after taking the votes," Modi said, adding that the Congress never thought of making a tribal the president of India. BJP for the first time helped a tribal woman reach Rashtrapati Bhavan, and that sends a message across the country, Modi said.

Modi launched a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi, although without naming him. "I would want to ask him what ailed him to support a tribal woman whom BJP had nominated for president?" asked the Prime Minister. "The Congress placed a candidate against ours and moved heaven and earth to defeat her," Modi alleged. Speaking in Vadodara, Modi while underlined the development journey of the state, he said that during Congress regime boards used to be put up in Porbandar declaring that "here the rule of law ends." "Such were the days," Modi said. Gujarat was lagging behind in manufacturing sector during Congress regime but in last 20 years, the situation has changed, he said.