Give up tradition of changing govts after 5 yrs: Shah's answer to Priyanka

shimla: With home minister Amit Shah arriving in Shimla, the election campaign gained momentum in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday as he addressed three rallies in the day asking people to give-up the tradition of changing governments after every five years.

He said the excitement among the people shows that the benefits of double-engine government have started reaching the people, changing their lives. This has only been made possible by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.

Shah launched a scathing attack against the Congress for giving "guarantees" in Himachal Pradesh on development when it could not build "toilets" for the women during the past 60 years.

"Will you trust the Congress on its guarantees?" he asked as he drew a comparison on how Prime Minister has changed the whole development narrative in the country during the past eight years.

"Sonia-Manmohan's government ran for 10 years but could not bring the country's economy from 11th to 10th. But in the last 8 years under Modi's leadership, India has become the 5th largest economy," he asserted at a poll rally at Bathacufar, Shimla's Kasumpati constituency.

Earlier he had addressed rallies at Shiyunta in Chamba district and Karsog in Mandi –CM's home district.

Exuding confidence that the BJP will form the next government, the home minister said the era of "Raja -Rani" (King and queens) has gone. It is the time of the people, not the king –an obvious reference PCC president Pratibha Singh, wife of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.

He countered the Congress star campaigner Priyanka Gandhi, who had addressed her party's rally at Mandi where she asked the people not to change the tradition of replacing the governments after five years.

"I don't agree with the suggestion for changing the tradition of alternate governments after five years. It helps to keep the leaders' mind right," she had told voters at Mandi.

Shah said the Congress had tried the politics of regionalism and tried to divide the people by the colour of the caps - "Lal Topi" and "Hari Topi" politics.

Shah described the Congress as "Maa-bete ki party," both at the Centre and the state.

While he listed out development projects started in the state during the past five years, Shah also played the Ram Mandir card informing the people that Ram Temple –a foundation stone for which was laid by Modi will be opened by 2024.