Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, addresssed a rally in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi. PM Modi attacked the Congress party during the rally and said making false promises, giving false guarantees has been an old trick of Congress. Speaking during the rally PM Modi said that the whole country has been witness of how the Congress has been lying in the name of loan waiver to the farmers.
“Making false promises, giving false guarantees has been an old trick of Congress. The whole country has been witness of how the Congress has been lying in the name of loan waiver to the farmers,” PM Modi said. PM Modi further said that Congress never gave priority to the development of Himachal. BJP has fulfilled its promises made to the people. PM Modi was felicitated by Himachal Pradesh CM Jairam Thakur ahead of his public address, in Mandi.
PM Modi on Saturday claimed that the people of Himachal Pradesh had made up their minds to retain the BJP in power, saying rapid progress and a stable government were necessary in the hill state. "The Himachal polls this time are special because the votes cast on November 12 are not just for the coming five years. Every single vote on November 12 will define the state's development journey for the next 25 years," Modi said at a poll rally at Sundernagar in Mandi district.
Mandi is the home district of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, who also addressed the rally. "A few weeks ago, India completed 75 years of independence. When India celebrates 100 years of its independence, closer to that, HP will also complete 100 years of its formation. Therefore, the next 25 years are going to be very crucial," the prime minister pointed out.
Stressing that it was necessary to achieve rapid progress and a stable government in Himachal Pradesh, Modi said, "I am happy that the people of Himachal, its youth, mothers and sisters understand this very well." Modi claimed that the people knew the BJP stood for stability, "sewa baav" (service), "sam-baav" (equanimity), and accorded highest priority to development.
"Therefore, in the people of Himachal Pradesh have decided to bring the BJP to back power," he said. PM Modi further said that if there was Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, it would have been the last state to receive the vaccines. "We gave free vaccines. If there was a Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, then vaccines would have reached Himachal Pradesh at last. You (public) voted on the right button and that's why so much development happened," PM Modi said.
During his speech PM Modi also offered his condolences to independent India's first voter, Shyam Saran Negi who passed away on Saturday and said that Negi will inspire every citizen of the country, especially the youth to perform their duty of casting vote in the elections.
Negi passed away Saturday morning at his native place in Himachal Pradesh's Kalpa, days after he cast his last vote in the 14th Assembly elections of the state. The Prime Minister recalled the country's first voter and said that he performed his duty of casting a vote before his demise.
"When I was on my way to Himachal, I got the sad news of the passing away of the first voter of independent India, Shyam Saran Negi, who belonged to Kinnaur. The 106-year-old Negi had cast a vote for over 30 times in his entire life. Not only this, he had also cast his vote on November 2 in the Assembly elections through postal ballot. He performed his duty by casting a vote before his demise. This will always inspire every citizen especially the youth of our country. I bow my head in tribute to him with an emotional heart," PM Modi said addressing his first public meeting in the poll-bound state.
Negi had cast his first vote in the independent country on October 23, 1951, in the Kalpa polling station, becoming the first voter in the country, and he cast his vote for the 34th time on November 2 this year which became his last, a feat that was acknowledged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.