Himachal Pradesh Assembly election 2022: Attacking Congress at a public rally in Himachal Pradesh's Solan on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that during the grand old party's rule in the state, there were various groups that had a vested interest in the unstable government.
He further said that small states were the target of such self-centered groups. These groups worked only for their own interests, he added.
PM Modi emphasized that the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) has a vision for the next 25 years for the state.
PM Modi attacks AAP as well
PM Modi slammed the Congress as a "guarantee of corruption and nepotism" and targeted the AAP as "most corrupt" in the guise of 'kattar imaandaar' as he sought people's votes for stability and development under a BJP government in the state.
PM Modi spoke at length about his long association with the hill state and exhorted people to support "lotus" (BJP's election symbol), saying their votes to it will be their "blessings" to him and that they should keep in mind not the candidates but "kamal ka phool".
He excoriated Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party, equating the party with "small groups" who win some seats or come to government by making false promises to serve their selfish interests.
During the Congress rule, many selfish and vested interest groups emerged who wanted to see instability in the country and states like Himachal Pradesh, he claimed.
"For this reason they stop a stable government from coming to power. Small states have always been targeted by these selfish groups. They make false promises, win a few seats and work for their own interests. They call themselves 'kattar imaandaar (very honest)' but they are the most corrupt and conspire to divide society," PM Modi said.
Unlike the Congress, the AAP was not named by him in the address but his suggestion was clear as the regional party, which has grabbed attention from a section of people with its populist promises in Gujarat and Himachal, has often called itself "kattar imaandaar".
With the ruling BJP in the state facing some headwinds over issues like old pension scheme and presence of rebels in several seats besides factors like price rise, the prime minister sought people's votes on the larger theme of his push for nationwide development, the Centre's welfare schemes and the stability brought in by his party.
Earlier in the day, he had addressed a rally in Sundar Nagar town of Mandi district to campaign for BJP in the Himachal Pradesh assembly polls which are scheduled for November 12.
"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.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Radha Soami Satsang Beas dera in Punjab and met with its head Baba Gurinder Singh Dhillon. Punjab Cabinet Minister Brahm Shankar Jimpa received the prime minister at the airport. Chief Secretary Vijay Kumar Janjua and DGP Gaurav Yadav were also present on the occasion.
Voting for all 68 assembly seats in the state will be held on November 12 and the counting of votes will take place on December 8.
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