Gujarat election 2017: Top 7 key quotes by top leaders during campaigning

Congress candidate Alpesh Thakor's 'imported mushroom' remark became one of the most popular statements on social media

The two phases of the Gujarat Assembly election 2017 ended on Thursday with 93 of the state's 182 constituencies voting to choose their legislators on December 14. Two days earlier, when the campaigning for the second phase ended, it also marked the end of one of the wittiest spells of rallies. The result of the Gujarat Assembly election will be out after counting of votes cast in both phases, on December 18. 

From Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was a star campaigner for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to Congress President-elect Rahul Gandhi, some of the top leaders campaigning for their respective parties used some one-liners and statements that made waves across the country.

Gujarat, a BJP bastion where it has ruled uninterruptedly for over two decades might bring the party back for a fifth term or be witness to the electoral revival of the Congress party, which has been facing crises nationally as well as in various states. Either way, the Gujarat state election is important for both key stakeholders. And that was evident in the way the key campaigners addressed the people of the state, as well as the media.

While the BJP reiterated its slogan of 'Congress Mukt Bharat',suggesting PM Modi was not taking the Gujarat election lightly, the Congress tied up with young leaders like Jignesh Mevani, Alpesh Thakor and Hardik Patel to attract the support of the communities they represent.

The Patidar agitation for reservation might not be new, but Patidar firebrand leader Hardik Patel's popularity is believed to have added some fire to the Congress party's chances in the state. Besides, the Dalit movement in Una brought into the limelight Jignesh Mevani, who is contesting from Vadgam constituency against BJP's Chakravarti Vijaykumar. 

Here are some of the wittiest and quotes/jibes made by the protagonists during campaigning for the Gujarat state Assembly election 2017: 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi after Congress questioned the bullet train project: 

"Those opposing the bullet train project should travel on bullock carts. We won't mind."

Congress President-elect Rahul Gandhi, during a rally in Deohar:

"Amit Shah runs the Gujarat government with a remote control. Like the way a radio is tuned, he turns it, and Rupaniji jumps around.”

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, attacking the Congress party manifesto:

"Having no model of development, the Congress party's manifesto is one of fiscal impossibility."

Patidar leader Hardik Patel during a speech

"Today 60 million Gujaratis need to fight together [to defeat the BJP]... If we don’t, people will call us murkh (foolish) Gujarati, murkh Gujarati. Murkh is what the rest of India called the people of Gujarat since we have voted the same party to power again and again, despite its poor performance."

UP CM Yogi Adityanath, in the initial days of the Gujarat campaign sparked a huge controversy by saying:

"Congress is not the supporter of development but devastation, that is why when a terrorist like Ishrat Jahan was killed by security forces in Gujarat, Rahul Gandhi came to support her."

Dalit leader Jignesh Meyani in one of his rallies was trolled by the crowd for saying:

"I would say Allah o Akbar six times before saying Jai Shri Ram five times’. 

OBC leader Alpesh Thakor, taking a dig at PM Modi:

"Somebody told me that Modiji has imported mushrooms from Taiwan... Each mushroom costs Rs 80,000 and PM Modi has five every day. So I said, he was dark like me, no wonder he is fair now. I was wondering how he has become Gora Chitta and glowing like tomatoes. A person who has mushrooms worth Rs 1 crore 20 lakh a month can't have poor man's food... like roti-dal."

The last quote went viral on social media with the hashtag #ImportedMushroom.