Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Tripura voters that they should not vote for the Congress or the Communists as they cannot form a government at the Centre while their votes for the BJP would bring it in power in Delhi and strengthen Modi’s guarantee for Tripura’s prosperity.

Addressing a large BJP election rally in Agartala, on Wednesday, Mr Modi claimed that the North East policy of the Congress and the Communists was a Loot East policy, which the BJP buried 10 years back and initiated an Act East Policy.

He said the previous governments remembered the North East only at the time of elections and neglected its development. “I am the first prime minister who visited the North East 50 times in the last 10 years,” he added.

Claiming that during Congress governments there were ministers who could not locate Tripura on India’s map, the prime minister said the BJP is now working relentlessly for the development of the Northeast. The Communists have a history of politics of destruction here, while the Congress has been known for its politics of corruption.

When the CPI-M and Congress were in the government and Opposition in Tripura, corruption prospered, he said, adding the Communist parties made Tripura a hub for violence and corruption. The Congress was in the Opposition then.

Today, these parties, which are sworn enemies, have come together to save their existence. They are such opportunists that they have formed a political alliance in Tripura but attack each other in Kerala. The Communists call the Congress corrupt, while the Congress calls the Communists terrorists, Mr Modi said.

The prime minister said he could expose their duplicity on corruption. The Congress “prince” (Rahul Gandhi), after his electoral defeat in Uttar Pradesh, has run away to Kerala, where the Kerala CM launched a campaign against him.

This provoked the angry Congress “prince” to say that the Kerala CM is corrupt and should be sent to jail and proceeded against, Mr Modi said. He usually attacks Central investigating agencies for their action, but now wants action against the Communist CM, he pointed out.

If anybody criticises him, he should be jailed, which is the Congress Prince policy, he contended.

The prime minister asserted, “Whoever is guilty of corruption, will not be spared, this is our determination. I have been talking about the corruption of Kerala CM’s government, but the Congress was quiet. Now Congress Prince is criticized, and he wants the CM jailed. Jail there (Kerala) and palace here (Tripura), what is this,” the Prime Minister said.

He said just when the Central agencies proceed with their work the Congress would protest loudly Modi is doing wrong. “This is their true face. When I say bhrashtachar hatao, the Congress says bhrashtachari bachao,” he added.

“In the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, make sure that you vote for the development of Tripura. I urge you to vote for our candidates on the 19th and 26th of April. Every vote given to BJP-NDA will strengthen Modi ki Guarantee for Tripura’s prosperity,” he said, adding every vote for the BJP and the NDA would also be for Viksit Bharat.

Mr Modi said BJP’s Sankalp Patra would bring prosperity in the state which he called Modi’s guarantee. “We are focusing on enhancing connectivity in the Northeast. Our government has provided free gas connections to over three lakh women. We have also initiated the Eklavya Model Schools for educating children from tribal communities,” he said.

He said the BJP Government’s work also shows the poor record of previous governments in the state. The PM Awas Yojana criterion in the state was denying its benefit to most of the deserving people living in kutcha houses. His government changed the definition of the kutcha houses and 3.5 lakh pucca houses have been built in Tripura.

For the development of Tripura, the BJP has worked on the HIRA Model – Highway, Internetway, Railway, and Airways. Construction of a four-lane highway in Tripura is underway at Rs 3000 crore cost. Tripura will be linked with Bangladesh. Once Tripura lacked internet connectivity, he said. Now, “we are going to work on the HIRA+ Model,” he said.