Agartala, 13 Feb: Asserting that there is no family in Tripura which has not received the benefits of BJP’s policies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged the people of the state to vote for the saffron party if they wanted “guaranteed growth peace and prosperity”.
Modi, addressing a rally here in the poll-bound state, also said that the BJP, as a “faithful servant” (sevak), has left no stone unturned to develop the place.
Calling upon people to stay united and vote peacefully, the prime minister said the state, which is witnessing rapid development, will suffer if the Left and the Congress return to power.
“Agartala has become the gateway for international trade in the northeast; the state capital will soon become a business hub.
“If the BJP stays in power, money sent from Delhi will reach the grassroots level, unlike what was the cause under the previous dispensation,” he noted.
The BJP believes in politics of change (badlao), not of revenge (badla), he maintained.
The state received a modernised airport and several other infrastructure projects in the last five years, Modi pointed out.
“Work to build National highway, road and railway projects are moving at a rapid pace. The Indo-Bangla railway will soon be commissioned, and the Maitri Setu in Sabroom, which is connected with the international port of Chittagong, will give a major fillip to trade and business once made operational,” he said.
Lashing out at the Left Front and the Congress, the PM said that the two parties just want to fill their coffers without caring for people’s welfare.
“The Left had taken the state on the brink of destruction with cadre raj visible everywhere, from state departments to police stations. People of Tripura can never forget the chaotic days when Left Front cadres had taken hostage of every aspect of life.
“The Left had considered itself as the king and people of Tripura as slaves. Development took centre stage in Tripura only when people showed red card to the communists,” he stated at Vivekananda Ground here.
The Left and the Congress can do anything to “satiate their hunger for power”, the prime minister claimed.
“They wrestle in Kerala and forge friendly relations in Tripura. Will those Congress leaders and workers who had suffered ‘red terror’ pardon the Left-Congress understanding? It is the evident that a few leaders of the Left and the Congress don’t hesitate to shake hand with enemies,” he said.
Under the BJP regime, people got free ration, piped water, healthcare assistance, houses, universities among other facilities, Modi said.
Listing the initiatives taken by his government, the PM said three lakh homes have been sanctioned for Tripura under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana’.
The BJP government has spent more than Rs 500 crore for the welfare of the farmers in Tripura, he noted.
“I want to assure all those who are yet to get pucca houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana that they will get one after the BJP government takes oath in the state,” the PM said.
Modi contended that people have already made up their mind to vote in favour of the double engine government.
“My happiness doubled on seeing the support being pledged for the double engine government,” he added.
Campaigning by the parties will draw to a close on Tuesday. Elections to the 60-member Assembly in Tripura will be held on February 16. Votes are scheduled to be counted on March 2. (PTI)