Panaji: Addressing an election rally here on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the voters to ensure his party gets a clear majority in the upcoming elections in the state and vowed to make Goa India's most “comfortable” state.
“I promise you that if you give us a comfortable majority, we will make Goa the most comfortable state of the country,” PM Modi said.
He lauded Goa's rapid development in various sectors saying that “Goa stands out among the territorially smaller states” in the country.
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Although there was political instability in Goa in the recent past, it still managed to progress by leaps and bounds, the PM said, adding “I can see the development of Goa from Delhi”.
Goa is going to polls on February 4.
He congratulated the people of Goa and the BJP government in the state, saying "these five years have been the years of development”.
Highlighting his government's priority areas, the prime minister said that his government is for the poor and it is taking "concrete steps to eradicate poverty".
“Our steps will be tough but will be in the better interest of the nation, not for political gains.
“India has a government that has the courage to take bold decisions and the world has also recognised that,” he stressed.
He slammed the opposition for accusing his office of pressuring the Election Commission to hold simultaneous polls in the five states this year.
“Some saying PMO pressurized EC for simultaneous elections in Punjab, Goa. If you don't trust the umpire, then why enter the battlefield?
“These are the same people who are blaming even the EC,” he said.
Stressing his government's resolve to work only for the country's development, he said, “We can have differences but that does not mean we need to deviate from the core issue.”
Without naming any party, he said, “Some people are aware that defeat is coming, so they are creating an atmosphere to blame everyone except for themselves.”
He also praised Manohar Parrikar who hails from the state and said that Goa has given the nation a competent defence minister and under whose leadership the “surgical strikes” were carried out.
