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Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that the votebank politics of Congress government at the Centre has resulted in zero development even after 60 years of independence.
Addressing an election rally at Rajula in Gujarat's Amreli district, Modi blamed the Congress government for lack of clean drinking water, village roads, not enough schools for children, inadequate health facilities and lack of employment opportunities. "The Congress never felt a need to listen to peoples' problems. They think that people don't have any issues with them. Their only focus has been to grab power and find ways and means to hang on to it and not let it go," Modi said.
"This is their votebank politics. And what is the result of this votebank politics the poor are not able to raise their voice and in the name of development progress is zero," the Gujarat chief minister said. Modi said that after he came to power he put an end to votebank politics of the Congress and the result of this is that Gujarat is marching ahead on the road of development. "Now the entire country is talking about development of Gujarat and other states are asking why can't they have similar development," said Modi who has been a non-stop election tour across the state.
Modi said he has a magic medicine to solve all problems of the people of the state and that was development. "It is only development and not votebank politics that can solve problems of the people of the state," he said. Claiming that prices of essential commodities has increased three fold after United Progressive Alliance government came to power, Modi took a dig at Congress president Sonia Gandhi. "Soniaben does not understand the plight of the poor. If that was the case than she would have done something about the price-rise and said a few words to the poor and said that she was not happy with the situation," Modi said. He alleged that the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, after examining the UPA government's accounts, had found that Rs 50,000 crore was not accounted for. "Where did the money go, what happened and who was responsible for it is not known. Soniaji can't give account of the money. This money belonged to the poor people of the country. They (Congress) have to give account of it," Modi said.
Talking about the Congress's promise of providing wheat to the poor at Rs 3 per kg, Modi said that the central UPA government is even capable of stealing bread from a poor person. "The UPA government does not know what Gujarat is doing. We have been providing wheat to poor in the state at Rs 2 per kg since seven years," he said. "What Congress will do is get wheat at Rs two per kg from us and then sell it to poor at Rs three per kg," Modi alleged. Modi blamed the UPA government for obstructing the progress of Gujarat. "We had asked Central government to give us gas so that we can generate electricity at the Pipava port in Bhavnagar. But they refused. They are obstructing the progress of Gujarat," he said.
The CM appealed to the gathering to cast their votes even if the temperature is high on April 30. "Even if the heat is unbearable do come and cast your vote for the BJP to make L K Advani the prime minister of the country. Don't sit in front of your television watching the IPL T20 matches," Modi said.