Modi Live in Delhi: 'Harsh Vardhan will save Delhi'

5.30 pm: At Sultanpur Majra, Modi says Harsh Vardhan will save Delhi

Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi today said that his party colleague Harsh Vardhan can only save Delhi.

“The way Harh Vardhan saved people of Delhi from polio, he will also save the Delhi government from polio,” Modi said at a rally in Delhi’s Sultanpur Majra.

Expressing surprise at the unability of the incumbent Congress government in Delhi to tackle the drinking water crisis, he said, “Delhi, Haryana and the Centre have Congress governments but still Haryana is not giving water to Delhi.”

Unrelenting on his attacks on his Congress, Modi said, “People kept you in power for so many years but what did you do for Delhi. Congress feels the poor cannot do anything. They should give the poor an opportunity. They are our strength.”

“Congress lacks vision to think of how to get the nation ahead. You (Delhi residents) do not get anything pure be it air or water,” the Gujarat chief minister said.

The BJP prime ministerial candidate also launched verbal salvos on the Aam Aadmi Party.

“After JP there was Anna Hazare who sounded the bugle against corruption. People expected that nation would be corruption free. Such a pure movement was not allowed to be so due to political ambitions of some people,” Modi said.

3.15 pm: Rally in Sultanpur Majra to start soon

Having promised good governance in Shahdara in East Delhi, Narendra Modi will soon start his address in Sultanpur Majra.

The crowds have gathered at Jalebi Chowk to watch the BJP’s final big push for the 2013 Delhi Assembly poll.  Modi is on a Delhi blitzkrieg, addressing three rallies in a single day. The last one will be at Parade Grounds near Red Fort.

1.20 pm: Modi directly attacks Congress, governance

Modi is now directly attacking Manmohan Singh, saying that the PM of the country is a person who thinks he has all the brains, and everyone else is brainless.

“That minister had said prices are rising because poor are eating two vegetables now. Tell me, are prices rising due to this?” Modi asks the crowd. “Our PM is a big economist. We never comment on that aspect. Finance minister is also very educated. We never challenge that…but now, they have ruined the country.” Modi then says: “The same intelligent minister said is it Government’s job to sell onions. And then the Delhi CM sells onions.”

“Neither Narasimha Rao nor Vajpayee ji were considered economists. But still you could have learnt from them,” says Modi, contrasting BJP leaders with Manmohan Singh. ‘Both Narasimha Rao & Atal ji knew about the problems faced by the common people."

Modi goes on to question the Below Poverty Line level of Rs 26. “It doesn’t take an economist to understand that Rs 26 a day is not enough to survive,” he says.

He then beseeched the assembled crowds to vote for Harsh Vardhan. “Do you not want your own Chief Minister?” says Modi. “Harsh Vardhan has been among you for his entire life, he understands your problems.”

Modi is now heavily criticising the Congress government for “bungling” the Delhi Commonwealth Games, as well as their claims of good governance, and having cheaper electricity than Gujarat.

Modi wraps up his first rally of the day, leading the crowds in cries of “Bharat Mata ki Jai!”.

1.15 pm: Whereever elections are, people want answers from Gujarat, says Modi

Modi says that it has become fashionable that elections might be anywhere, but still they want answers from Gujarat. “All your abuses on Twitter, Facebook, at press conferences, behind closed doors, your allegations, all these were made by you in Gujarat last year,” says Modi. “But despite your dirty tricks and every effort the people of Gujarat refused to believe you. Do not think you can try these tricks anywhere.”

Modi says that the people do not trust Congress anymore due to the sins of the party’s leaders.

Modi also goes on to question why people only ask him what his vision for the country is. “There is a group of people, they keep asking me- what is your vision. Have they asked the Congress?” says Modi. “One reason is they think BJP is coming to Delhi. Other reason is they would want to save Congress.”

Modi also points out that prices have not risen while the state has been under BJP rule, but only under Congress rule. “And then, after this, the Congress mocks the poor.”

“When outsiders come, can’t we welcome them?” asks Modi. “But, they do not want to do anything. Mudda niti ka nahi, niyat ka hai,"  says Modi.

1 pm: Narendra Modi begins speaking at rally

Narendra Modi has stepped up to the podium amid chants of “Modi! Modi!” from the assembled crowds. Modi begins with: “Bharat mata ki jai!”, and addresses the assembled BJP leaders as well as the audience.

Modi has to wait for the crowd’s cheers to die down before beginning his speech. “I am very grateful to you for your love,” says Modi.

“For the last few days, I have been to Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Delhi and many other places for election rallying,” says Modi. “I have seen many elections. But this is the first one where the people are fighting, rather than the parties.” Modi says that parties must give answers to the people, and they must tell the people what they did.

Modi points to the BJP leaders in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, and points out that unlike them, the Delhi leaders don’t seem to have the courage to meet their electorate. “See the arrogance of the rulers of Delhi and Rajasthan. They are not willing to answer the people,” says Modi.

12.50 pm: Harsh Vardhan speaks at Delhi rally

BJP candidate for Delhi polls, Harsh Vardhan, has begun speaking at Modi’s Delhi rally, and is describing Narendra Modi as India’s future prime minister.

“I have gone all over Delhi in the past few days,” says Vardhan. “And everywhere I go, the enthusiasm of BJP workers has been great, but even more the enthusiasm of the voters to not give their votes to the Congress has been notable.”

Vardhan goes on to criticise the water supply problem in Delhi, as well as the problems faced by the youth in Delhi, women, policing and security problems, as well as governance issues.

“When we introduced bill for Delhi’s statehood under Atal ji, it was Congress who opposed it,” says Vardhan. “when women are attacked and killed, the CM says why do women leave homes in evenings? Sheila ji, you may not have to, but others are not so privileged.”

12.38 pm: Arun Jaitley begins speaking at Delhi rally

After a thirty minute delay, Narendra Modi’s rally appears to have officially begun. Modi is sitting on the podium and will begin speaking soon. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley is speaking.

“We were thinking that the Prime Minister will speak, and we were pleased but now, due to Modi-ji’s 3 rallies they cancelled the PM’s rally too,” said Jaitley. “After the day when there was less audience, Rahul Gandhi never came back to address a rally. It seems as if Congress leaders do not want to come to speak in Delhi. All are refusing to come to speak here.”

“One person here will be the next CM of Delhi and another will be the next PM of India,” says Jaitley, referring to Harsh Vardhan and Narendra Modi. “When results will come on 8th, BJP will form governments in the 4 states,” says Jaitley.

Jaitley goes on to predict a historic rout for the Congress in the coming Assembly elections. “With Harsh Vardhan, Delhi will see a new day,” says Jaitley.

11.50 pm: Crowds begin gathering as Modi’s rally to start soon

Crowds have begun gathering at the CBD ground Shahdara in East Delhi, in anticipation of BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s rally which will begin soon.

A rapid round of three rallies by Narendra Modi from noon today will be part of the last thrust by the BJP towards electoral victory in the Delhi polls.

Narendra Modi will be in Delhi today, addressing three rallies from noon to evening at CBD ground Shahdara in East Delhi, Jalebi Chowk in Sultanpuri in North-West Delhi and the Parade Ground at Red Fort, Chandni Chowk. Modi was denied permission by the authorities concerned for a rally in New Delhi area. The Congress has moved Election Commission against a possible use of Red Fort replica at Modi’s Saturday rally.

According to Firstpost writer Sanjay Singh, sources have said that the BJP was inching closer to the majority in Delhi with 34-36 seats, the Congress lagging behind with 21-23 seats and the Aam Admi Party making a not-so-modest beginning with 8-10 seats. The Delhi polls take on an additional relevance as popular wisdom dictates that whichever party wins in the Delhi polls, will usually win the general elections.

On the other hand, the Congress seems to be confused, with opinion polls broadly negating a fourth term to Sheila Dikshit and the feedback from their own ranks not being very positive. Hours after not ruling out an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the possibility of a hung assembly in the state, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Thursday backtracked, saying the Congress will win a majority on its own.

The chief minister has always refused to acknowledge the year-old AAP’s potential of harming the Congress’ prospects of winning the Delhi polls for the fourth straight time.