Himachal Pradesh Assembly Election 2017: PM Modi addressed a rally in Kangra region (file photo)

Highlights Congress like termites, needs to be taken out from the roots, says PM

Is campaigning for Himachal Pradesh elections to be held next week

Says Congress has already accepted defeat and 'run away' from campaigning

PM Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders share the stage at a rally in Dharamsala.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched a stinging attack on the Congress over corruption, likening the party to termites, and exhorted the people to wipe them out by handing over a three-fourths majority to the BJP in the November 9 Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections "If you clean just on the surface, termites come back after a few days. The Congress party's depraved mentality is like termites. You cannot just change the government and expect to be done with it, you have to take them out from the roots. Only then we can free Himachal of this disease," he said."There should not be one polling booth where this termite called Congress be allowed to thrive," PM Modi added.PM Modi said the Congress has conceded defeat in the hill state as its senior leaders have "run away" from campaigning in the state leaving Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to his fate.In a reference to the Congress' decision to mark the first anniversary of the demonetisation as black day, he said the opposition party would observe "Anti-Black Money Day" and burn his effigies as it was angry with his fight against corruption.PM Modi claimed that the poor and the middle class were back to work but the dishonest people were angry with him and wanted to seek revenge from him as he forced them to deposit their illegal money with banks.

Seeking strong mandate in favour of the BJP, PM Modi said the state had progressed most when Prem Kumar Dhumal was its chief minister and Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister as the central government pumped in money which Mr Dhumal used effectively for development of Himachal Pradesh.PM Modi said he and Mr Dhumal, who is the party's chief ministerial candidate, would take the state to new heights of development, adding that its infrastructure and tourism sectors needed a boost.