Gujarat will celebrate Diwali on December 20: Modi

Conveying New Year greetings to the people of Gujarat, Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the state will celebrate a bigger Diwali on December 20, the day when results of state assembly elections will be declared.

The Gujarati New Year is celebrated the day after the festival of Diwali.

"The people of Gujarat are determined not to let darkness enter the state. The journey of brightness that has been going on for the last 11 years will go ahead for five more years," Modi said, reaffirming his prediction that the Bharatiya Janata Party will win big in the upcoming state assembly elections.

"Although Gujarat is celebrating the festival of lights now, the people will celebrate another Diwali on December 20 and this Diwali will be after the festival of democracy --elections," he said.

In October, Modi had said that Diwali would be celebrated twice in Gujarat this year -- once during the traditional festival of lights and the second to celebrate the victory of democracy.

Voting for Gujarat elections will take place on December 13 and December 17 while counting will be held on December 20.

"Greetings on Nav Varsh! May the New Year further strengthen the spirit of 'Sauno Saath, Sauno Vikas' (All Together, Growth for All) and may there be peace, joy in our lives," Modi tweeted.

"We should take a pledge that people of India get freedom from the darkness of price rise, unemployment and corruption," Modi said in his New Year message.

Expressing hope that people would abide by the pledge, Modi said, "Every youngster of the country gets the energy to fulfill his or her dreams and there is an atmosphere of development in the nation."

The chief minister also met Gujarat Governor Kamla at Raj Bhawan and greeted her on the beginning of the New Year.

Modi also conveyed greetings to Gujaratis across the globe.

A large number of people from all age groups and sections of society met the chief minister in Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad to exchange New Year greetings.