Give me love this election, I will give you 5 years of development: PM Modi in Assam election rally

Modi also issued a warning to former prime minister Manmohan Singh. “Former PM Manmohan Singh has accused me of only talking and not doing anything. Keep watching what we do. A couple of persons involved in the coal scam (during UPA term) have already landed in jail. More will go to jail,” he said.

The PM also recalled how the Congress government’s policies had forced the poor to put their money in the Saradha chit fund, and that it was his government that had enabled crores of poor people to open bank accounts and avail of insurance of Rs 2 lakh.

The PM began his speech at every rally by invoking goddess Kamakhya (whose temple he visited immediately after landing in Guwahati), and mentioning a stanza from a Bhupen Hazarika song about how the month of Bohag gives courage to the Assamese people. “Bohag matho eti ritu nohoi, nohoi bohag eti maah/Asomiya jatir ee ayush rekha, gana-jivanar ee saah (Bohag, that ushers in the New Year, is not just a season or month, it is the lifeline of the Assamese people, it gives courage to community life),” he said.

On Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Modi said, “People voted at such rates in favour of the BJP and its allies that the Congress now knows that it is on its way out. This is visible in Gogoi’s face too. His ever-smiling face turned pale over the last few days.”

Hitting out at the Gogoi government, Modi also said that 15 years of Congress rule had led Assam nowhere in terms of development. “Over 40 per cent of people do not have drinking water. Over 40 per cent do not have power. What did this government do in 15 years, and that too when the country had a PM from here for 10 years,” he said.

He replied to Gogoi’s oft-repeated allegation of the state BJP’s dependence on central leaders and said that a frustrated Gogoi was trying to get his party leaders from Delhi after the massive voter turnout in the first phase. “But Gogoi must keep in mind the fact that his Delhi leaders cannot save him. How can Congress leaders from Delhi save Gogoi when they could not save Delhi,” Modi said.

“This election is not about which party wins or loses. It is an election for the future of Assam,” he said, alluding to the influx of Bangladeshi migrants, an issue close to the BJP’s heart. “I have a three-point agenda — development, speedy development and all-round development.”

Rahul dig on black money

In a scathing attack on Modi, Rahul Gandhi accused him of making “big promises” on bringing back black money and distributing it to the people, but remaining silent on the Panama papers.

“Why is Modi silent on the Panama papers. Is it because the Chhattisgarh chief minister’s son’s name… (that he) also has an account in Panama?” he asked.

“Modi always makes big promises to you of bringing back black money kept abroad and putting Rs 15 lakh in every citizen’s bank account. Now he should at least say why there is no investigation ordered into why the Chhattisgarh chief minister’s son’s name features in the Panama papers.”

Rahul addressed rallies in Kamalpur, Nalbari and Dalgaon, all in lower Assam.