Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Credit: PTI Photo
Guwahati: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said he came to power at the Centre with hope in 2014, with trust in 2019 and is offering guarantee ahead of Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
"The massive crowd here indicates that we will cross 400 seats on June 4. Fir ek baar Modi Sarkar...(Modi government once again). This time I am giving guarantee, the guarantee of fulfilling the guarantee," Modi said while addressing a rally at Nalbari in Assam while campaigning for four Lok Sabha seats, Barpeta, Darrang-Udalguri, Kokrajhar and Gauhati.
"It is Modi's guarantee that free ration will be given to all in the next five years without any discrimination. BJP's Sankalp Patra has made promises of benefits to all communities without any discrimination. Taking care of the healthcare of the elderly persons, aged over 70, is Modi's responsibility. We will provide medical insurance upto Rs 5 lakh and three crores houses in the next five years," he said.
PM chants Jai Shri Ram:
After a pause, the PM chanted 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Ram Laxman Janki', 'Jai Bolo Hanuman Ki', almost at the time when priests at Ayodhya Ram temple illuminated the forehead of Lord Ram with a "surya titak."
Modi also asked the crowd to switch on the flashlights of their mobile phones and chant 'Jai Shri Ram' multiple times to pay their obeisance to Lord Ram at Ayodhya and be part of the "massive celebration of birthday festival of Lord Shri Ram."
"Today I may not be in Ayodhya but I want to join this celebration of Surya Tilak from here. You also switch on the flash lights of your mobile phones and pay your obeisance to Lord Ram from here," Modi told the crowd just before the Suryatilak celebrations started at Ayodhya. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, president of BJP's regional ally Asom Gana Parishad, Atul Bora and chief of United People's Party Liberal (UPPL), another ally, Promod Boro, beside other leaders also chanted the slogans with Modi.
"There is a new atmosphere of celebrations in the nation today when Lord Surya is coming down to Ayodhya to celebrate Lord Ram's birthday. After 500 years, for the first time, the birthday of Lord Ram is being celebrated at his home at Ayodhya. Prabhu Ramchandra Ki Jai..." Modi chanted five times and the crowd followed him.
Soon after that, the PM wooed Muslim voters too, saying, "Our Muslim women got relief from the trauma of triple talaq as we repealed the triple talaq act."
Poll battle
Modi campaigned for candidates of BJP and its allies AGP and UPPL in the four constituencies where polling is scheduled on April 26 and May 7. Nalbari, a RSS-stronghold, comes under the Barpeta Lok Sabha seat, where Abdul Khaleque of Congress had won in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
BJP had won in Mangaldoi Lok Sabha seat, which was renamed as Darrang-Udalguri by carrying out the delimitation exercise last year while an Independent candidate Naba Kumar Sarania was elected twice from ST-reserved Kokrajhar in 2014 and 2019.
Congress this time, however, replaced Khaleque with Dipen Bayan, a Hindu candidate as Barpeta was turned into a Hindu-majority seat through the delimitation exercise, Congress leaders said.
Senior AGP leader and former minister Phani Bhushan Choudhury has been fielded as BJP-AGP-UPPL candidate in Barpeta. Dilip Saikia, the sitting MP from Mangaldoi, is contesting in Darrang-Udalguri seat while BJP and AGP are supporting UPPL candidate Jayanta Basumatary in Kokrajhar seat in Bodo heartland. BJP leaders said Modi chanted the slogans as the Hindus are in majority in the four Lok Sabha constituencies.
Modi, who began his speech with the slogan 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', as usual, concluded by chanting 'Jai Shri Ram', three to four times. The PM later addressed another campaign rally in neighbouring Tripura.
Mamta rally:
Bengal CM and Trinamool supremo Mamta Banerjee, who addressed her first rally in Assam for the Lok Sabha polls in Bengali-dominated Silchar in South Assam, said she extended support to all religions to celebrate their festivals.