Get rid of 'Manik', choose 'Hira': Modi woos Tripura voters ahead of polls

Sonamura (Tripura): Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was on a campaign trail in the frontier state of Tripura on Thursday launched a frontal attack on the Left Front government and asked as to why people in the state do not earn minimum wages even though the CPI(M) government has been in power for 25 years.

Modi while addressing his first elections rally at Sonamura played around with Chief Minister Manik Sarkar's name and called upon the people to give up the wrong Manik (Gemstone) that they have been wearing for 25 years. 

“You should replace Manik with Hira (diamond) to come out of non-development and backwardness of decades,” PM Modi said. 

“People in distress tend to wear ‘manik’ (gemstone) on the fingers hoping for better days. But if one wears the wrong ‘manik’ , the distress gets compounded. You have worn the wrong ‘manik’ for the past 25 years and so haven’t tasted the real pace of development and prosperity. Time has come for you to shed the wrong ‘manik’ and wear ‘Hira’ after the election to see the change for better,” he said.

In his style, the Prime Minister also decoded---‘Hira’ saying---“H stands for highway, I stands for I-way (digital connectivity), R stands for roadway and A stands for airway. He promised massive transformation of Tripura where the state government employees are paid the same pay scale since 1996". 

“This government has not given seventh pay scale to state government employees. If BJP is voted to power, we will implement I,” said Modi while referring to the manifesto of the party.

He reiterated that BJP-led NDA government’s policy is ‘transformation through transportation’ for the land-locked northeastern states. 

“You have taught us a slogan--‘Chalo Paltai (Let’s change),” said Modi amidst thundering clapping and slogan shouting by crowd.

He accused the ruling Communist Party of India government in the state of hiding scams and corruption behind their white kurtas and talk of bank accounts without much money. It was an indirect reference to Sarkar, who often receives attention for being India’s poorest chief minister.

“The Communist government here has ruled the state for 25 years and ruined it,” he said.

Scams such as Rose Valley chit fund have ruined the poor in Tripura, the Prime Minister said adding that those responsible must be brought to the book. He also accused the current government of creating an atmosphere of fear and quelling dissension among the workers.

“Since the BJP came to power in the Centre, there has been fast-paced expansion of broad-gauge railway network in Tripura while Rs 450 crore has been approved for improvement of the terminal building of Agartala airport. People of Tripura will benefit immense from the UDAN scheme. Our government has made Agartala one of the three cities in the country that are International Internet Gateway (IIG),” Modi said lambasting the ruling Left Front for resorting to misinformation that if a BJP government is installed in Tripura many existing welfare schemes would be stopped.

For the youth in Tripura, Modi also promised 3Ts–trade, tourism and training–in order to provide sustainable livelihood option. 

He asserted that Tripura would be in focus of the BJP government at the Centre while implementing cent percent centrally-funded North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme.

The elections for 60-member Tripura assembly will be held on February 18. 

Modi addressed a public meeting at Sonamura in Sipahijala district and another at Kailashahar, Unakoti district. 

Other top BJP leaders, including party president Amit Shah and Union Minister Rajnath Singh have also visited the state for campaigning. 

The BJP has formed an alliance with the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) to displace the CPI (M) government of Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, who has been running the government for 20 years now. 

The BJP has fielded candidates in 51 seats out of the total 60 seats, while IPFT is contesting on the remaining nine constituencies, reserved for tribals. 

297 candidates, including 20 women are in the fray for election to the 60-member assembly for which results will be announced on March 3.