Ranchi: Addressing an election meeting for the second leg of the poll campaign in the steel city of Jamshedpur, the home constituency of Chief Minister Raghubar Das, Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed that chief ministers changed in Jharkhand at a pace that even the weather could not compete.
He called the Congress-JMM alliance as an alliance of top corrupt leaders and said, in the past, Jharkhand had seen ten chief ministers in 14 years, but he (Modi) was chief minister of Gujarat continuously for 13 years.
The political instability was created deliberately to facilitate the loot of the rich natural resources of Jharkhand and the the two parties even 'sold' the chief minister's chair for sharing loot.
The PM claimed that past Congress governments played the politics of deception and kept the Ayodhya issue pending deliberately for their political ends.
He also said that it was the power of Ram that helped maintain peace in the country after the Supreme Court's verdict on Ayodhya.
"Only I can take bold and decisive decisions on vexed issues," he added, while referring to the abrogation of Article 370 and triple talaq. "It was the BJP government that solved these vexed issues," he said.
"After the first phase of the assembly elections in the state, three things are clear-- the faith of the people of Jharkhand in strengthening democracy and nation building is unprecedented," he said.
"Secondly, the way the BJP government has broken the back of Naxalism, it has reduced the atmosphere of fear and created an environment of development here. Thirdly, it has been made clear that the people of Jharkhand have a feeling of trust towards BJP and the lotus symbol," he added.
The PM distanced himself entirely from ex-BJP leader Saryu Rai, who is contesting against the chief minister. “There should be no confusion. Modi is with the Lotus symbol only,” he replied, addressing the claims made by Rai's supporters that he had the PM's blessings.
In his speech, the PM mentioned the founder of Jamshedpur Steel Plant Jamshedji Tata and said that he came from Navsari in Gujarat and that he too was a Gujarati.
The Prime Minister said that Jamshedpur and its neighbouring areas would be developed into a textile hub by promoting Tussar silk industrial units in which 1.75 lakh people are engaged.
Tough measures by the state government in last five years have led to the creation of an atmosphere of peace and investment in the state.
Earlier, while addressing an election meeting in Khunti, 35 kms from Ranchi on Tuesday, the PM had alleged that the Congress and JMM were against the promotion of industries and tourism in Jharkhand.
He also contradicting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's claim that the Congress government in neighbouring states waived off the loans of farmers. He said that the Congress had made several promises during the elections, but had failed to implement them.
He is scheduled to address another election meeting at Jamshedpur, from where Chief Minister Raghuwar Das is contesting the election to be held on December 7.
