Vote for change, to make India shine: Modi

BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi Monday urged people to vote for change to make India "shine".

Addressing a jampacked function of the Bharat Diamond Bourse -- the world's largest diamond exchange here, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Gujarat chief minister said "it is a matter of just eight months" for bringing a change in the country.

"After nine months, the country will emerge out of all the current challenges and difficulties and march forward to a new era," Modi said, hinting that he expects Lok Sabha polls on time.

Flanked by BJP deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gopinath Munde and ally Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Modi was given a tumultuous reception at the Mumbai airport and later at the BDB where he addressed the gathering.

Modi told the gathering that since the past nine years, the country is passing through an "eclipse" on all fronts under the United Progressive Alliance government at the centre.

"The government has not been able to keep the people with it... the people of the country are not ready to walk with the government," Modi said, reiterating confidently that the BJP would be voted to power.

Referring to his own status, Modi said that in the post-Independence era, no other political leader has been criticized or reviled or abused like him.

"Go to Google and take out a printout of all the things said against me... This auditorium will also fall short of space. But, despite this, the people have always supported me," Modi claimed amid huge applause.

Modi said that the UPA government lacks "vision" and has been making promises after promises but failed to fulfil them for the past so many years.

"The government has lost control over the administration. It seems to control only the agencies like CBI, Income Tax Department to target opposition leaders," he declared.

Modi, who was weighed in silver soon after his arrival, assured the IT department that he would not take it home.

"Rest easy... All the money from this silver would go to make the world's tallest statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. It will be called the 'State of Unity' and will be double the height of Statue of Liberty outside New York harbour," he said.

Drawing comparisons with Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel, Modi asserted that he hailed from the same state (and 'mitti') of Gujarat.

For the memorial, Modi said that from Oct 31, Sardar Patel's 138th birth anniversary, he would seek donations of a small piece of farm equipment from all farmers in the country and build the statue as a symbol of unity.