“More important than just electing an MLA, this election is about whom you want to hand over Gujarat”

Ahmedabad, 1 December 2012

It’s election time and Narendra Modi’s amazing political speeches are back. Following are some interesting highlights from Modi’s Somnath speech. The speech was in Gujarati, so here is our attempt to put it in English for Modi’s fans outside Gujarat. Shri Modi started his third round of campaigning for Gujarat assembly elections 2012 from Shri Somnath mandir today. Soon after darshan and abhishek at Shri Somnath mandir, Shri Modi addressed a public meeting in Tower chawk in Veraval. Here are some of the highlights from his speech:

-This election is not just for a limited purpose of electing some Govindbhai from Talala, or Rajshibhai from Veraval. More than (just taking a decision on) who is going to be your MLA, it is important (because it gives an opportunity) to take decision on which type of government you need in Gujarat, under whose hand Gujarat is secure, whom can you trust for Gujarat.

-You are coastal people. Will you ever give your boat to some stranger and ask him to cross the sea? If you can’t hand over your small boat to someone, how one can give Gujarat to somebody’s hand? Would you like Gujarat to sink? We don’t want to allow Gujarat to go in backward direction. If we want to keep Gujarat secure, then take note of last 11 years.

-You would sometime feel to have a vacation. Sometime you feel that taking one-day vacation at least is a nice idea. But you have got this laborer in Gujarat who has not spent even one hour for rest in last 11 years.

-When a poor person votes, he does so with some hopes, some dreams. A poor man’s dream should become Gujarat government’s dream. A pained person’s pain should become pain of Gujarat government.

-The way I have received love for last 11 years, it is not a small matter. Today, the political leaders are seen on TV round the clock, but the way you have come here in big number in this heat, the way women are here in big number at the time when they are generally involved in cooking, it shows that Love is raining here, and therefore nothing will stop the raining of votes.

-My family is six crore Gujaratis I have nothing beyond them. My struggle is to change their lives. I want to work not only for you, but for your next two generations. I want to work so that your grand children live happily.

-You press the lotus button here and it will be deposited straight away in my account. It will not go anywhere else. Give vote to development, give vote to victory, give vote to trust.