Narendra Modi promises bigger victory

Comparing himself with master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that he was being criticised for failing to perform up to people’s expectations in the just-concluded general elections.

“I am being criticised presently for not being able to deliver as per expectations everyone had from me,” he said, apparently referring to criticism that BJP did not do well despite him campaigning for the party extensively.

“I am the only politician in the country who is being criticised on the parameter of expectations,” he said, at a function organised by the state BJP, in the presence senior party leader L K Advani.

“Its like in cricket, people don’t have expectations from everyone, but if Sachin Tendulkar gets out by scoring less runs, people would say, even Sachin didn’t play!” Modi said.

Thanking the critics for having huge expectations from him, the Gujarat Chief Minister said that he will translate the criticism into a bigger victory for the party.

“I welcome this criticism and those critics. I also congratulate them for having huge expectations from me and I assure them that we will convert their criticism into an opportunity and achieve a bigger victory with the blessings of BJP workers and people of the country,” he said.

Modi, who had campaigned extensively in the country and addressed around 300 election meetings, has been criticised by various fronts, including a section of BJP leaders, who blamed him for BJP’s drubbing at the hustings.

On BJP’s performance in Gujarat, he said the people of the state had voted for BJP and given more seats to the party than 2004 despite the fact that he had spent less time in the state as he was busy campaigning in other states.

During his brief speech, he talked about development his government has done in the state and said that recently, United Nations (UN) has given an award to WASMO, a state government initiative, for providing drinking water in the rural areas.

Talking about the development in agriculture in the state after he became Chief Minister in 2001, Modi said that Gujarat is number one in the field since then as per a study carried out by an American institute.