BackDelhi polls: Narendra Modi promises jobs, better standards of living
While the BJP continues to target Arvind Kejriwal, Modi makes development of the urban poor the central theme of his campaign
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New Delhi: In a bid to woo voters ahead of assembly polls in Delhi next week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday promised to provide jobs to the youth and access to better standards of living to the people of the national capital, especially those from the financially weaker section.
While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is leading the ruling coalition at the Centre, continued with its strategy to target former Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal, Modi has made development of the urban poor the central theme of his campaign.
“The government has decided to provide permanent houses to people living in slums. These permanent houses will be at the same place where the slum is located," Modi said in his second election campaign rally ahead of the Delhi polls. Voting in Delhi is due on 7 February and the results are due on 10 February.
“The poor of the country should live with dignity. I want to start this work from Delhi. The government will also provide jobs because the youth of India has the ability to change the future of the world," Modi said.
Modi also talked about the steps taken by the Union government to reduce corruption in its eight months at the centre. “Slogans are not enough to serve the poor. The government has found ways to transfer subsidy for gas cylinders directly in bank accounts. This step will reduce corruption," Modi added.
Political analysts believe that the BJP has brought in Modi to talk about the development agenda of the government because it is facing tough competition in Delhi. “There is definitely a change in strategy in Delhi," said Delhi-based political analyst Bidyut Chakrabarty. “The party has brought Prime Minister Narendra Modi to focus on the development agenda because the BJP knows that it is facing very stiff competition on the ground and attacking a party will not give the desired results so Modi is talking about development," he said.
During his speech, Modi said that the Delhi assembly election is not only about electing a member of the legislative assembly (MLA) or government but it’s also about how people should look at India.
“Delhi is the introduction to India," Modi said in his speech. “There is no better place than Delhi to present India. Developments in Delhi will set the mood for development in the country. Election should be about how we want to present Delhi to the world," he added.
Launching a scathing attack on the AAP without naming the political party, the Prime Minister said that people will not make the same mistake again. “Some people had backstabbed the people of Delhi. People of Delhi had punished those who left the government during the Lok Sabha elections and destroyed the development process of Delhi," Modi said.
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