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Lok Sabha elections 2019: ‘Dedicate first vote to Pulwama bravehearts’: PM Modi to first-time voters
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he wanted to appeal to first-time voters, to dedicate their vote to honour the armed forces that conducted airstrikes in Balakot and to the martyrs of Pulwama.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday appealed to the first-time voters to “devote” their votes to the Bharatiya Janata Party, to make country stronger. Modi made the appeal in a rally in Ausa, Latur in Maharashtra where he shared stage with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray after three years.
Modi said that he wanted to appeal especially to first-time voters, to dedicate their vote to honour the armed forces that conducted airstrikes in Balakot and to the martyrs of Pulwama. He added, “Can your first vote in your life ensure that the poor get a home? Can your first vote ensure that water reaches the fields of farmers?”
Modi, in his speech attacked the Congress and particularly Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar recognising him as the principal opponent in Maharashtra. “Some people are demanding a separate PM for Jammu and Kashmir. Now Congress and NCP have also joined them. Sharad Pawar you? You are with such people. The people do not have any expectations from the Congress party, but this doesn’t suit you, it is unbecoming,” Modi said.
Also read: ‘Congress speaking Pakistan’s language’: PM Modi at Maharashtra rally
His reaction came a week after National Conference leader Omar Abdullah had said that his party will strive hard for restoring the autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir that could include having its own ‘Sadar-e-Riyasat’ (President) and ‘Wazir-e-Azam’ (Prime Minister).
Meanwhile, in a visual that is expected to boost the morale of the Shiv Sena and BJP workers, Modi walked on the stage in Ausa holding Thackeray’s hand. Both leaders raised their hands in symbolic gesture to end the bitterness between the two saffron parties. Modi, in his speech, referred to Thackeray as his “younger brother” and also showered lavish praise on Sena founder Bal Thackeray for not engaging in “dynasty politics”.
“The political parties should learn from Balasaheb. He never became the chief minister, nor installed his son as the chief minister. He could have done that... It was the Congress that deprived Balasaheb Thackeray from voting,” he said.
In 1999, Thackeray was banned from voting and contesting polls for six years for allegedly seeking votes in the name of religion while campaigning for an Assembly bye-election in 1987 in Mumbai. The ban was valid from 1995 to 2001.
Criticising the Congress for its promise to repeal sedition law, Modi said the Opposition party “should look in a mirror”. He said that the manifesto of the BJP will be valid for the next five years, while the Congress’ ‘Dhakosala Patra’ (a term used by PM Modi to describe election manifesto of the Opposition parties) will remain valid till May 23 (counting day).
“Our manifesto is for development and progress of this country, while theirs is for their personal and political gain of the family,” he said adding that the BJP has carried out work that was not in the 2014 manifesto including the surgical strike against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.
Maharashtra will vote in the first four of the seven phases of the Lok Sabha elections that begin on April 11 and end on May 19. Latur, where PM Modi addressed a public rally on Tuesday will vote on April 18 in the second phase of the national election. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.
