Poverty, honesty pushed me to work for poor: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asserted that the people of the country were his family and that a life of poverty and honesty empowered him to do something for the poor.

He was addressing an election rally in Ahrauli area here in support of Union Minister Ashwani Choubey, the NDA candidate from Buxar in Bihar. 

Attacking the opposition leaders, Modi said the people of the country loved him and "some people" had a problem with that. 

"These are the people who got votes for the promises they made but forgot their voters soon after elections. They looted the poor, amassed crores of rupees in illegal wealth and made grand bungalows. 

"I, on the other hand, who served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat for a long time and am now the Prime Minister, have not lived even a minute for myself or for my relatives. The people of the country are my family," he said.

Calling the grand alliance of the opposition parties an "adulterated alliance", Modi said" "They were trying to get a weak coalition government at the Centre so that they can make money by blackmailing it."

He, however, asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies were set to win the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. 

"One thing is clear. It's the Modi government once against. Our victory is certain (Ek baar phir Modi sarkaar, jeet to nishchit hai)," he said to applause from the crowd. 

Modi claimed that the people had given a mandate for his government again in the six rounds of elections completed so far. "Opposition leaders have lost all hope. Their anger is at its peak. They cannot win the elections, but only express their frustration by abusing me," he said. 

The Prime Minister emphasised that the elections would decide how fast would India progress in the years ahead and what would be the future of the country's children in the 21st century.

"But the adulterated alliance never talks about the development of India. It only abuses me."
IANS