Unlike Congress, I am not hungry for power: Modi

A steady stream of supporters of Narendra Modi thronged Maninagar area in Ahmedabad, where the chief minister of Gujarat addressed a meeting, before filing his nomination on Friday for the state assembly elections.

Modi filed his nomination at 12:39 pm -- a time considered to be vijay mahurat.

He also introduced his new motto for the campaign -- Vikas, Vishwaas and Vijay (Development, Trust and Victory). 

Before filing his nomination, Modi challenged Congress president Sonia Gandhi to declare the name of her political secretary Ahmed Patel as the possible candidate for the chief minister of Gujarat.

"Why are they not declaring the fact that they have decided to make Ahmed Patel the chief minister of Gujarat. Why are they playing games behind the scene," he said.
 
He added, "They do not have the guts to say that they have an understanding with some other party. They are just misleading the common people of Gujarat."
 
Modi also targeted Ratibhai Mangroliya -- the Congress candidate from Visavadar constituency -- who claimed that his mandate (a document that certifies the officially representation of a candidate for a party) was allegedly stolen by a 12-year-old while he was on his way to file his nomination papers.

"I heard that Congress workers were crying that their mandate was stolen by a 12-year-old boy in Visavadar. The boy knew what is good for his and Gujarat's future," said Modi.

Reportage: Sonil Dedhia in Ahmedabad

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This is the third time that Modi will be contesting from Maninagar.

During the half-an-hour long speech, Modi blasted the Congress government at the Centre by reminding his audience of various scams like 2G, coal-gate and others.

"It seems that scams and inflation have become part of their agenda. The central government has taken all the scams very casually," he said.

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People across various age groups had gathered to listen to Modi. 

Vijay Patel and Rohit Jhala, both 19, are going to vote for the first time in the state elections. They identify themselves as the 'modern face of the Bharatiya Janata Party'.

"Like me, a lot of youths can connect to Narendra Modi. I am sure everyone will vote for him. I would love to be a leader like him," said Vijay.

"We have already started discussion and debates with our friends from college. We have also launched a Facebook page to create awareness about Modi's work in Gujarat." said Rohit, a student of H L Commerce College in Ahmedabad.

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In 2007, Modi had won from Maninangar with a margin of nearly 75,000 votes, by defeating Congress candidate Dinsha Patel. 

Modi appealed to the people to vote for the "right person".

"I am not asking anyone to blindly vote for me. I would like all you to think about your future and the future of your children before you vote for anyone," he said.

Narendra Modi on Friday filed his nomination papers from Maninagar constituency in Ahmedabad for the 2012 Gujarat assembly elections.

Modi also targeted Congress candidate Ratibhai Mangroliya (from Visavadar constituency), who claimed that his mandate (a document that certifies the officially representation of a candidate for a party) -- was allegedly stolen by a 12-year-old while he was on his way to file his nomination papers.

"I heard that Congress workers were crying that their mandate was stolen by a 12-year-old boy in Visavadar. The boy knew what is good for his and Gujarat's future," Modi laughed at this claim.

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Attacking the Congress government, Modi said, "Unlike the Congress government, I am not hungry for power. I want to serve the people of Gujarat and I want your support for it."

He claimed that the Congress was spending crores of money to fight the elections.

"No amount of money can throw the BJP out of power in Gujarat," he claimed.

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Widely regarded as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate in the 2014 Parliamentary polls, Modi alluded to his ambitions for the top post when he admitted that the state elections were very important for him.

"Today, the common man is being oppressed by the Congress," he said, adding, "I want to assure the people of India that Gujarat is where you can fight an election on the basis of development and progress. I want the people of India to vote on the basis of development, not on vote-bank politics."

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Modi urged the Congress to prove what they had done for the progress of Gujarat during the party's rule.

He said, "Instead of doing good things, the Congress is just trying to accuse me of something, which is completely baseless. They are simply jealous. The six crore people of Gujarat know the reality. They know the state has really developed. The Congress is just trying to sabotage the developmental projects."

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Meanwhile, Shewta Bhatt -- wife of suspended police officer and Modi's bete noire Saneev Bhatt -- filed her nomination as the Congress candidate from Maninagar.

When asked about her nomination, Maninagar resident Rameshbhai Haria, 35, laughs it off.

"Who is she against Modi? I don't think anyone can defeat him, not even Sonia Gandhi. The BJP is surely going to form the government again," he said.

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Sanjeev Bhatt had earlier filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court alleging Modi's complicity in the post-Godhra riots.

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