In the run-up to the Assembly elections in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the people of the state blessed him and reposed trust in him for the last two decades irrespective of his caste and political background.
Addressing a gathering here 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.
Modi arrived in his home state for a three-day visit to launch various projects worth more than Rs 14,600 crore.
Assembly polls in Gujarat are slated to be held soon. The elections are crucial for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which aims to retain power in the state, while the Congress hopes for a win after remaining out of power for 27 years in the state. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also entered the election arena.
"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 it. Not just me, you also blessed my friends. And as your blessings increase, my drive and strength to work keep growing," the prime minister said.
He said the people of Gujarat reposed trust in him for the last two decades, due to which Gujarat emerged as one of the prominent states in the country.
"For this, I bow before crores of Gujaratis for their patience. It is because of your efforts that the government and public worked together to create a new history. All this has been possible because of your immense faith," he said.
Before becoming the prime minister, Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat between 2001 and 2014. He hails from Vadnagar town, which is also located in Mehsana district.
The prime minister said changes do not happen easily as one needs foresight for it.
He said that Mehsana, the district in north Gujarat where agriculture suffered due to lack of water for irrigation, witnessed a change after he ensured water supply through schemes like Sujalam Sufalam.
"Gujarat was ranked the last in the country in the agriculture sector, which is why I paid attention to it, because if agriculture progresses, my village will progress, and if the village progresses, Gujarat will never lag behind," Modi said.
Due to lack of electricity and water, the previous generation in the region failed to make optimum use of its potential, but the present generation has opportunities in which the sky is the limit, he added.
Modi said industry and tourism will lead to development of the region.
"Better infrastructure has attracted different industries and made it an automobile hub. Mehsana has become an energy centre for different industries," he said.
In the past, we were not able to make cycles in Gujarat, now we are manufacturing cars and days are not far when we will make aeroplanes in the state, the prime minister added.
"Today, more people visit the Statue of Unity to pay homage to Sardar Patel as compared to the Statue of Liberty," he said, and expressed confidence that Modhera will also become the centre of tourism in no time. "You only need to remain prepared so that tourists don't return unhappy," he said.
Modi said that Vadnagar, his home town in the district, will also emerge as a tourism centre with archaeological discoveries. "Vadnanar is second only to Kashi that never ceased to exist in the last 3,000 years, there was always some human settlement as revealed in archaeology," he said.
He said it was at Unjha in the district where he had started the work of providing 24-hour electricity through the Jyotigram Scheme.
"Every Gujarati witnessed that I decided to provide 24-hour electricity and launched a scheme and showed the work in 1,000 days," he said.
He said that youngsters in their early twenties don't have any idea about the difficulties from which he has brought the state out.
"We have to make a big jump and not get caught. We have to do many times more than what we have done. If we get electricity and water, it will lead to industrial development, increase farm and milk production," he said.
According to Modi, new opportunities in different sectors will help create employment opportunities.
(With PTI inputs)
