GUWAHATI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took a swipe at the Congress and the ruling National Peoples’ Party (NPP) in Meghalaya, saying that Meghalaya needs a “people’s first” government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rather than a “family first” government.
“I have got a lot of love and blessing from you and I won’t let that go to waste. I will repay this debt by developing Meghalaya and speeding up projects for your welfare,” PM Modi told an election meeting in Shillong after a roadshow.
PM Modi, who addressed a rally in Nagaland’s Dimapur earlier in the day, will address another election meeting in Meghalaya’s Tura about 300km from state capital Shillong.
Both Meghalaya and Nagaland go to polls on February 27.
“Meghalaya wants a stable and strong government under a strong party. Instead of those who promote family first, we will give you a government, which keeps people first,” PM Modi said.
The BJP contested 47 assembly seats in 2018 but won only two assembly segments – Pynthorumkhrah (Alexander Laloo Hek) and South Shillong (Sanbor Shullai), who was a cabinet minister in the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government. This time, the BJP has fielded candidates on all 60 seats and hopes to emerge as the single largest party.
Without naming Congress, PM Modi said people who have been discarded by the nation want him dead but the masses want Modi’s lotus (BJP symbol) to bloom.
“People of Meghalaya and Nagaland will give a befitting reply to such people. Everywhere in hills and plains and towns and villages of Meghalaya, everyone is saying BJP will form the next government,” said Modi.
The prime minister accused previous governments in the state of focusing on greed instead than developing Meghalaya. “But things have changed for the better after the BJP came to power at the Centre in 2014 and took initiatives to develop Meghalaya and the rest of the northeastern region,” he said.
“If there’s a BJP government in Meghalaya then it will be easier for me to serve you better,” Modi added.
