Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi took a dig at the Congress-led central government at the Centre during his trip to Japan, saying that India could see the next general election before 2014.
"Our central government is facing so many internal problems. So I don't known when (election) it will happen. It's difficult to say if election will come in 2013 or in 2014 or by the end of 2012," Modi said, during his visit aimed at inviting investment in his state. Modi also expressed confidence that the coalition led by his party, BJP, will sweep the next Lok Sabha polls.
"I am confident that the BJPled NDA will come to power because the country remembers NDA under the leadership of Atal Behari Vajpayee," Modi said, adding, "Inflation was controlled. The work on infrastructure was moving very fast. We were constructing 11 km road per day; today it has come down to 3 km. The people remember the NDA as a good government. So they will bring it back to power."
The BJP leader, who said he was sure of winning the assembly elections in his state later this year, ducked questions over the possibility of being projected as his party's prime ministerial candidate. "I am committed to Gujarat. I am committed to the 60 million people of Gujarat. They have given me the responsibility. I will have to fulfill that," Modi said, in reply to a question on whether he nurtured the ambition of becoming India's prime minister.
Congress leaders reacted sharply to Modi's comments on foreign soil. "First of all, let him say whether he is confident of coming back to power in Gujarat? Forget about NDA ," said corporate affairs Minister Veerappa Moily.
Modi invited Japanese businessmen to the forthcoming investors' summit in his state to boost commercial and economic relations between the two countries. |
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