We will make 1+1 equal to 11: PM

Ahmedabad: As campaigning for the second phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections came to an end, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made an emotional plea to the state's people.

"With the Government of India and Government of Gujarat working together, the strength rises manifold. This one plus one is not two but eleven, and together we will take Gujarat to new heights," PM Modi said.

In remarks laced with nostalgia, the PM recalled that it had been three and a half years since he "got the honour to travel across the length and breadth of Gujarat to seek the blessings of the people."

"During my travels across Gujarat, the level of affection I have received from the people is unparalleled in my 40 years of public life. This affection gives me strength and motivates me to devote all my time to India's development," he said.

He urged the people of the state to come out to vote in large numbers in the second and final phase of the elections, on December 14.

Earlier on Tuesday morning, the PM flew in a sea-plane from the Sabarmati River here to Dharoi Dam in Mehsana district on the last day of campaigning for the Gujarat Assembly polls.

Modi boarded the single-engine sea-plane from near the Sardar Bridge connecting the old city with Ahmedabad West, the first-ever flight by such a craft in the country.

A special jetty was constructed to facilitate the prime minister's boarding from the river.

The plane took off from the Sardar Bridge-end amid chants of "Modi-Modi" from BJP workers and other city dwellers, who flocked the Sabarmati Riverfront to witness this one-of-a-kind event. The plane landed at Dharoi Dam reservoir in Mehsana.

From Dharoi, the prime minister proceeded to Ambaji Temple in Banaskantha district via road. He returned to Ahmedabad by the sea-plane later on Tuesday evening.

Modi had on Monday said at a poll rally that on Tuesday, for the first time in the history of the country, a sea-plane will land on the Sabarmati river. "I will go to Ambaji in the sea-plane after landing in Dharoi dam and come back," he said. He said the BJP had planned a road show for Tuesday in Ahmedabad.

"However, the administration has not given permission, and I had time, so I decided to go to Ambaji in the sea-plane," Modi had said.

"We cannot have airports everywhere, so our government has planned to have these sea-planes," he said.

Photos showed the Prime Minister buckled in a seat in the seaplane. John Goulet, the pilot who flew the seaplane, said, "It was a very pleasing experience. I gave him a safety briefing. He was a very good passenger. Seaplanes are very common in many countries; it should be popular in India also as you have lakes, the rivers, the coastal areas."

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Monday said this is for the first time in the country's history that a sea-plane will land on a water body and that will be the Sabarmati river. Union ministers Smriti Irani and Parshottam Rupala addressed a series of public meetings.

The state party president Jitu Vaghani and Chief Minister Vijay Rupani also reached out to north Gujarat voters as the final phase of campaigning ended on Tuesday.