Gujarat Assembly polls: ‘People of Gujarat blessed me for two decades without looking at my caste,’ says PM Modi

Addressing a gathering in poll-bound Gujarat after declaring Modhera in Mehsana district as India's first solar-powered village, he said the blessings of the people of the state gave him the drive and strength to work for them, and this has kept growing.

Image Credit: File Photo; Representational purpose only

Modhera: In the run-up to the Gujarat Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the people of the state had blessed him and trusted him for the last two decades, regardless of his caste or political background. Addressing a crowd in poll-bound Gujarat after naming Modhera in Mehsana district India's first solar-powered village, he said the state's blessings gave him the drive and strength to work for them, and this has grown. Modi arrived in his home state for a three-day visit to launch several projects worth over Rs 14,600 crore. Gujarat's assembly elections are set to take place soon. The elections are critical for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which wants to keep power in the state, while the Congress wants to win after being out of power in the state for 27 years. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also entered the fray.

"You neither looked at my caste nor my political life. You blessed me blindly with all your love and affection, and you saw my work and kept attesting to it. Not just me, you also blessed my friends. And as your blessings increase, my drive and strength to work keep growing," said the prime minister. He stated that the people of Gujarat have placed their trust in him for the last two decades, as a result of which Gujarat has emerged as one of the country's leading states.

"For this, I bow before crores of Gujaratis for their patience. It is because of your efforts that the government and the public worked together to create a new history. All this has been possible because of your immense faith," he said.

Modi was Gujarat's chief minister from 2001 to 2014 before becoming Prime Minister. He is from the town of Vadnagar, which is also in the Mehsana district.Change, according to the prime minister, is difficult because it requires foresight.

(With agencies' inputs)