Claiming voters in the general election so far have voted the "mother-son duo" out of power and laid the foundation of the next government, Narendra Modi on Monday said the country's development under his rule will begin from Amethi.
Canvassing for BJP candidate Smriti Irani, who is pitted against Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in this power seat of Nehru-Gandhi family, Modi said nothing is going to save this government, not even "taking help of prisoners".
"I will transform Amethi in such a way that world's universities will come to study its success story. I have not come for politics of retribution but the politics of change," Modi told an election rally in Gauriganj area of Amethi.
"We don't want badla (revenge) but badlav (change) and to achieve that I have complete faith in my younger sister Smriti," he said, while accusing the Nehru-Gandhi family of betraying the faith of their loyal voters in this constituency for the past 40 years.
Modi accused the Gandhi family of arrogance, referring to Priyanka Gandhi's dismissive quip, whereby she had asked "who?" when reporters questioned her about Irani.
"I want media persons to ask the Gandhi family to stand next to Smiriti and then ask them to the name the villages in Amethi. I am sure the family can't name the villages in this constituency," he said.
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Modi in Amethi. ANI
He said by fielding Irani, he did not want to create more difficulties for Rahul, who "already has enough of them", but to ameliorate the hardships of the people of Amethi.
Making a strong pitch for Irani, Modi said he had tasked the former actor and Rajya Sabha member with the development of a few backward districts in Gujarat.
"After assessing her performance, we decided to field her from a district which has fared the worst on various parameters. It was after a long period of serious thinking that I realised Amethi is the worst performer," Modi said.
"I am here not to give a political message but to make your pain my pain. This family has destroyed dreams of three generations of people here and I am here to make to you dream again and make those dreams my own," Modi said.
Attacking Priyanka, without naming her, he said, "See their arrogance. Who asks such questions in a democracy? I will tell you who Smriti is? She is my younger sister and she has come to revive the place you have destroyed in the past and to wash away your sins."
Taking a dig at Priyanka, who campaigning for her brother, Modi said cameras are always focused on "the face of a single person" and we "never get to see the common people".
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Accused of practicing the politics of anger, the BJP's PM nominee reminded the Congress of former Prime Minister "Rajiv Gandhi's public humiliation of an Andhra Pradesh chief minister".
"They say Rahul is following in the footsteps of Rajiv Gandhi. Yes, he is. As general secretary, Rajiv had rebuked and humiliated the then CM of Andhra Pradesh at an airport. The poor CM had tears in his eyes. Who has been practicing the politics of rage," he said.
Smriti Irani in Amethi. ANI
The saffron brigade had descended on Amethi to make preparations for Modi's rally after the BJP's UP in-charge Amit Shah spent all of Friday there holding strategy meetings.
Breaking the unsaid rule of keeping off a political rival's turf, the BJP had announced Friday that Modi would hold a rally in the constituency — days after HT broke the news that such moves were afoot and that the Congress could reciprocate.
Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Laxmikant Bajpai, camping in Amethi since Saturday, said the party had "high hopes" from Modi's rally.
In response, the Congress has deployed a contingent of heavyweight leaders in Varanasi — the BJP prime ministerial candidate's seat — for smooth election management.
It is also considering sending party vice-president and Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi to the temple town, though a final decision is yet to be taken.
Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, sources said, is camping in Varanasi and has been there for a few days already. "He is our chief coordinator. He handles everything, from distribution of campaign material to the list of speakers for a rally," a party strategist said.
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The others include foreign minister Salman Khurshid, commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma and senior partymen Mukul Wasnik and Subodh Kant Sahay.
The sources said the party was mulling the option of having Rahul campaign in Varanasi but "a final decision will be taken only after polling in Amethi gets over on May 7".
They added that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi won't be travelling to Varanasi. Earlier, there was talk of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra going there and offering puja at the Sankat Mochan Hanuman mandir, though not actively taking part in any campaign. The Congress' local MLA Ajay Rai takes on Modi and AAP's Arvind Kejriwal in Varanasi on May 12.
Wasnik, a prominent SC leader, is slated to attend a few rallies while Sharma is regularly seen alongside Rai in the latter's tours. Khurshid is set to campaign in select pockets. Rai had earlier told the media Priyanka had assured him of all help.
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