Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Monday. (Twitter/@dasraghubar) Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Monday. (Twitter/@dasraghubar)

Attacking the previous Congress-Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) regimes in Jharkhand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the parties were driven by “lust for power” and exploited the state’s resources while neglecting its people. Here are the highlights

“This election is a contest between those who serve and those who loot. Congress has problems, we have the solutions. They have accusations, we have the report of the work we have done. They have empty promises, we have the proof of development,” Modi told an election rally in Daltonganj.

Raking up the scrapping of Kashmir’s special status and the Ayodhya dispute, PM Modi accused the previous Congress governments at the Centre of dillydallying on such issues for their vote bank.

“What did the Congress and its allies do on Ram Janmabhoomi? How were political games played? How was society divided? These people kept the topic of Ram Janmabhoomi hanging for the sake of their vote bank. It was not allowed to be decided,” he said.

Addressing another rally in Jharkhand’s Gumla, PM Modi said Naxalism flourished under non-BJP governments due to political instability.

“Governments used to get toppled here, they didn’t want to serve people but simply enjoy the power…How could there have been proper roads, industries and electricity, given the situation which was here? BJP government has worked day and night to end corruption in the last five years,” PM Modi said.

PM Modi also congratulated the Raghubar Das-led government for completing its full five-year term, a first in Jharkhand since it attained statehood in 2000.

“The BJP government has provided good governance in Jharkhand over the past five years. That is why, for the first time in the state’s history, a chief minister completed his five-year term,” PM Modi said.

PM Modi also congratulated Raghubar Das-led government for completing its five-year term, a first in Jharkhand since it attained statehood. (Twitter/@dasraghubar) PM Modi also congratulated Raghubar Das-led government for completing its five-year term, a first in Jharkhand since it attained statehood. (Twitter/@dasraghubar)

Condemning last week’s Naxal attack in the state, PM Modi paid tribute to the four policemen who were killed. Six people, including one policeman and three homeguards, were killed in Latehar and Palamu districts in separate incidents on Friday and Saturday.

PM Modi also asserted that the BJP governments at the Centre and the state would continue to protect Jharkhand’s ‘jal‘, jungle and ‘zameen‘ (water, forest and land).

“The BJP governments at the Centre and the state will continue to protect Jharkhand’s ‘jal‘, ‘jungle’ and ‘zameen‘ (water, forest and land), no matter what the opposition says. The state has made efforts to curb Naxalism in the state and will continue to fight against the menace,” PM Modi said.

The prime minister said the ‘double-engine’ growth of Jharkhand became possible because the party was in power both at the Centre and in the state.

“The result of the double engine of BJP governments in Delhi and Ranchi is that today the farmers of Jharkhand are getting double benefits. Every farmer family here gets direct help under PM-KISAN, along with additional benefits of Chief Minister Krishi Aashirwad Yojana,” PM Modi said.

Assembly elections in Jharkhand are scheduled to be held from November 30 to December 20. Polling will be held in five phases, with the first phase beginning November 30, second phase on December 6, third phase on December 12, fourth phase on December 16 and the last phase on December 20.

Results of the election to 81 seats in the state Legislative Assembly will be declared on December 23.

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