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Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, on a day's visit to New Delhi to meet top government leaders, insisted that the Bharatiya Janata Party would return to power in the state in the forthcoming election.
"Gujarat is already geared up to vote the BJP to power," Modi told rediff.com "I am just keeping things in motion."
Modi was replying to a question on the effect that a delay in the election could have on the BJP's electoral strategy.
He said, "You must take note that this is the first government to have demanded a poll in spite of having a two-thirds majority in the assembly. That itself shows our level of confidence."
About his mission in New Delhi, Modi said, "I am here to brief the Centre on Gujarat's impending drought."
The chief minister said that his state had got reasonable rainfall in the first round, solving its drinking water problem. "But in the second round," he warned, "if rain is delayed by another week, Gujarat will face a crisis similar to that in North India."
Modi met Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani and Finance Minister Jaswant Singh and was scheduled to meet Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Agriculture Minister Ajit Singh. "I am briefing them about the ground situation," he said.
Modi told the central leaders that "51 per cent of Gujarat has received less than 25 per cent of [its normal] rainfall. We are already in deficit."
He also raised the issue of royalty for crude oil. "Since the policy of sharing revenue from the production of crude has not yet been finalized, we have asked the finance minister to help us by giving an ad hoc payment," Modi said.
The chief minister also had an appointment with President A P J Abdul Kalam, which turned out to be a learning experience for him.
"The President was nostalgic," Modi said. "He remembered those days when he was living in Ahmedabad in 1962-63. Sabarmati Ashram used to be his inspiration.
"When I asked him about his views on the future of India, the President said, 'The country needs unity of minds. We need a role model at various levels.' He is keen to prepare such role models based on values."
Modi was also impressed with the amount of information that the President had about the rehabilitation work done after the earthquake of January 26, 2000, in Kutch.
Modi didn't comment, however, when asked if the President had inquired about the recent Gujarat riots.
About his extremely negative profile in the media, Modi replied, "I have seen so much adversity in my life, I am unaffected. Initially it hurt me deeply. But when I understood that the criticism was motivated, I got used to it. Now I am not carrying any burden. I am tension-free."
ALSO SEE: It is up to the EC to decide poll timing: Modi
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