Continuing his agenda of inclusive development versus divisive vote-banks in mammoth rallies across Raipur, Durg and Bematara districts of Chhattisgarh, the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi mocked at the peddlers of the politics of birthright and entitlement and said that in a democracy a shoe-shine boy can rise and lead the nation if he has the innate ability.

Alluding to a remark by “a Congress ally” (Samajwadi Party) that a tea-seller cannot be the Prime Minister of India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Prime Ministerial contender ridiculed the mentality of ‘rich families that make fun of the poor’ and use such uncultured language. Striking a powerful chord with his audience, he insisted ‘this is not about Modi’. The issue is whether birth and where one studied would decide (who will lead the nation).

Pointing out that he had never hidden his childhood from the people, “I sold tea in railway wagons to fill my belly, I did not pick pockets or take any wrong roads,” he anguished, “you are making fun of me now?” This made one realise that more than Narendra Modi who has been an important politician for more than two decades now, the unjust slurs against his modest origins may be causing hurt to his aged mother and siblings.

Ensuring that the jibes prove politically costly to his opponents, he told the gathering, that was hanging on to every word, “They (Congress) spare no one.” When eminent artist Lata Mangeshkar, who is held in high esteem by the people, “does not every note of ae mere watan ke logon inspire the nation”, voiced the sentiment that it would be “good if Modi became Prime Minister,” there was a veritable storm and talk of taking back the Bharat Ratna (from her).

“Is this the language of democracy,” he thundered. “Does not Lata ji have the right to speak her mind?” He urged the people to “snatch the ground under the feet of such people”. Then, turning his attention to the media, he promised, tongue firmly in cheek, that there would be real freedom after the elections of June 2014, and the media would be free to tell the truth about who all received State Awards in the last 10 years, and why. The answer: those who maligned Gujarat and Modi, and tried to “catch” him!

Expressing satisfaction at the huge crowds that chanted his name with enthusiasm throughout, Narendra Modi stressed that the BJP believed in accountability, hence Raman Singh journeyed thousands of kilometres, going from village to village, to explain his 10-year rule to the people, what he had managed to achieve, and how he had used public funds. In contrast, he said, there are Governments that lose their shine in two or three years and start fearing to face the people; at times ministers move out of their bungalows with great fanfare, but quickly cancel the yatras and return to the safety of their rooms. First such leaders used to get tomatoes and potatoes (thrown at them), but now these have become too expensive for the people to afford, he mocked.

Delhi, however, does not believe in accountability. There is no explanation for the crippling price-rise despite the promise to bring down prices in the first 100 days of UPA-II. There is no account of work done, if any, no explanation for the rising unemployment among the youth despite an election manifesto promise to create one crore jobs annually. This has created a serious crisis in a nation where 65 per cent of the population is below the age of 35 years. There is no gravitas regarding the issue of women’s security and rising rape chart. Though the Prime Minister, Madam (Sonia Gandhi) and shehzade (Rahul Gandhi) had all come to Chhattisgarh, they kept mum about prices.

Driving the point with powerful rhetoric, he charged that the children of the poor are starving and mothers are crying, but Delhi leaders have no time for “roti” or “rozi”; being a mother, Sonia Gandhi could have found some soft words for the poor, to reduce their agony, but she had none. He lambasted Congress leaders for their arrogance, for believing they have the immutable right to rule as part of their heritage.

The Congress-led regime at the Centre, he said, was surviving not on the basis of its good deeds or parliamentary majority, but thanks to the crutches of the CBI, which is routinely sent to the homes of the SP, BSP and DMK leaders to keep the Government afloat. The CBI, he laughed, is such an effective pill for all ills that the ruling party thought to “use it on Modi also; they gave a dose to me too, thought they could frighten me with jail”. Throwing the gauntlet, he railed that he was from the “land of Gandhi and Patel” and knew how to face threats. Congress could do its worst, but the people would separate the milk from the water.

National security has been rendered a joke. Pakistan attacks us and kills our jawans, beheads them and takes their heads away as trophies. Yet we offer chicken biryani lunches to the Pakistan Chief Minister on grounds of protocol. But “where was the protocol in what Pakistan did,” he asked. China enters our territory at will, and the Government has no answer to any question.

The youth have the brains, energy, aspirations and work ethic to take the nation to new heights if given an opportunity, but the leaders care only for their own chairs. Power stations with the capacity to generate 20,000 MW of power are lying idle, when they could generate so many jobs, because there is no coal to run them on account of the coal scam in which even files have gone missing; we are reduced to importing coal. It is an unending saga of failure on all fronts.

Urging the importance of voting for the ‘right’ party on November 19, Narendra Modi congratulated the citizens in the Maoist strongholds for shunning threats and voting in record numbers (75 per cent) in the first phase of polls. He expressed regret for the security and polling staff killed or injured while performing their duties and urged the Election Commission to create space on its website to honour those who died for the defence of democracy. The Commission could also consider honouring the families of such martyrs every year before Republic Day.

Batting for incumbent Raman Singh, the Gujarat strongman challenged the Congress to declare the name of its chief ministerial candidate in Chhattisgarh. A fraud was being perpetrated on the people, he said, because if one does a sting operation on the party, or asks the leaders privately, they admit their candidate is Ajit Jogi. So why are they afraid of losing the election if they declare his name?

He tore into the Congress president for saying that the Centre had given huge funds to Chhattisgarh, as if the State was a beggar and it was her family money. Berating the party’s history of making false promises, he said people should ask the party if it has given free rice to the people in any of the States where it is already in power. Yet it is trying to fool the people of Chhattisgarh with such hollow talk. As for 24-hour electricity in rural and urban areas, it had been achieved in Gujarat and would be achieved in other BJP States as well.

Congress, he said, is a party of vote-gatherers, not performers. It is so afraid of what it has done in office – unprecedented corruption – that it wants a ban on opinion polls! The way ahead, he exhorted, is the mantra of development. The nation has had enough of vote-bank politics, and now is the turn of vikas ki rajniti. In Gujarat, he said, “we followed the path of sab ka saath sab ka vikas; we gave stability; give BJP a chance again and we will give you a new Chhattisgarh”.