Congress, UPA fear about their fate: Modi

BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi Wednesday said the Congress and the UPA were fearing about their fate.

Addressing a huge gathering in Coimbatore industrial city, about 500 km from Chennai, he said people have decided to give a clear mandate and the Congress and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) were fearing about their fate.

He said the UPA government plunged the country into darkness by looting coal needed for electricity generation and the industrial units in Coimbatore lost production due to power cuts.

The crowd roared "no" when he asked whether such a government was needed at the centre.

Charging the centre with halting power transmission works, Modi said that even if Gujarat wants to give power to Tamil Nadu, it was not possible in the absence of transmission corridor.

Interestingly, even Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa had attributed the same reason for the severe power shortage in the state.

Modi, who is on a whirlwind two-day tour of the state, also addressed rallies in Salem and Krishnagiri.

In Salem, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate said linking rivers will solve the water woes of states like Tamil Nadu, and an NDA government, if voted to power, will achieve in 60 months what the Congress could not in 60 years.

"River linkage should be done so states like Tamil Nadu get water."

A couple of days ago, Jayalalithaa had charged the BJP and the Congress with betraying the state's interests over sharing the Cauvery river's water with Karnataka.

Praising DMDK leader A. Vijayakant and his wife Premalatha as leaders connected to the grassroots, Modi said Tamil Nadu will undergo a huge change under their leadership.

Referring to the power shortage in the state, Modi said Salem also known as steel city has enormous talent but suffers from the problems in Chennai and Delhi - the seat of power in Tamil Nadu and India.

He said the powers in these two cities do not give power but are dealers in power. According to him, all the industries in the state face power crunch.

The Gujarat chief minister said the nation was tired of promises and wants action and delivery.

Citing the poor drainage facilities in Salem, Modi said 55 percent of the city's households do not have toilets.

Modi promised that by 2022 when the country celebrates its 75th year of independence, his government would provide all the poor a house with electricity and drainage connection.

About India's iron ore exports and import of finished steel, Modi said: "No country can think about such an economic agenda."

He stressed that the workers in the Salem Steel Plant should be provided with social security measures like pension.

Taking a dig at Manmohan Singh, he said when prime minister's voice is not heard, naturally people's voices also fail to find listeners.

Earlier, addressing another rally in Krishnagiri, Modi said the Congress-led central government will not come back to power which was evident during his election tour.

He said in Tamil Nadu, the BJP has formed an alliance which is an alternative to AIADMK and DMK.

"If we win, we will fulfil all the needs of the Tamils," Modi promised.