With the campaign for the November 12 Himachal Pradesh assembly elections reaching the final leg, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that the hill state needs a stable government that only the BJP can provide and the people should keep the Congress out of power to ensure rapid development.
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“Himachal Pradesh is at a critical stage of development. It needs a stable and strong government and only the BJP can provide that,” PM Modi said at a rally at Chambi in Shahpur constituency of Kangra district, which has the largest number of assembly seats in the state.
“Only when Himachal Pradesh has a stable government will it overcome challenges and scale new heights of development,” he said, linking the Congress with instability, corruption and hindering development projects.
At another rally at Sujanpur in Hamirpur district, PM Modi accused the Congress of “insulting” the army chief and likening soldiers to goons. It had raised questions on the surgical strikes, which had targeted terror camps in Pakistan, as well, he said.
“From the two states where the Congress is in power,” he said referring to Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, “you hear no news of development but only that of internal conflicts. Can a state develop in such a situation?”
{{/usCountry}}“From the two states where the Congress is in power,” he said referring to Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, “you hear no news of development but only that of internal conflicts. Can a state develop in such a situation?”
{{/usCountry}}‘Double-engine govt helped in pandemic’
“When people experience a BJP government, their trust grows and that is why it is elected to power again and again,” he said, referring to neighbouring Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP has retained power.
On the other hand, he said, there is anger against the Congress such that people of states it ruled for decades haven’t allowed it to set foot in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Tripura, Nagaland, UP and Bihar.
Urging the people of Himachal to vote for a double-engine government, Modi said the Congress can’t fulfil their expectations. “You had bid them goodbye five years ago, don’t allow them to enter again,” he said.
“When there is continuity in government, it also becomes accountable to people,” he said, adding that during the Covid pandemic the double-engine government worked with a sense of responsibility and service.
Congress betrayed Himachal: PM
Stepping up the attack on the Congress, the Prime Minister accused the opposition party of betraying Himachal projects under the PM Awas Yojana and implementing 60:40 funding of projects, which was a difficult task for the state, which has limited financial resources.
“Today, Himachal Pradesh has got big projects such as the medical device park and bulk drug park that will create jobs, while four-lane projects will boost tourism,” he said.
“AIIMS, IIM, IIT and medical colleges that were once a dream have become a reality,” he said.
Terming 5G the future of Himachal Pradesh, Modi said the state has a vast scope in the information technology (IT) sector besides research and innovation.
“While the Congress neglected women, we opened the doors of Sainik Schools for them,” he said, adding woman power will change the “rivaz (convention)” in Himachal Pradesh.