With just days left for phase 1 of Assembly elections in Gujarat, the state will witness an intense campaign on Sunday as both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal will descend on Surat for electioneering.
While Modi will address a public meeting at Mota Varachha in Surat after a 25-km road show from the airport to the rally venue, Kejriwal will be on a two-day tour of Surat. BJP sources added that Modi will also address three rallies at Netrang in Bharuch and in Kheda district, reported PTI.
Meanwhile, AAP too is leaving no stone unturned to pull in maximum votes in the BJP stronghold of Surat, where the textile and diamond industry and lakhs of people associated with the sectors have traditionally favoured the saffron party.
During his two-day visit, Kejriwal will hold town hall meetings with textile industry leaders and gem artisans. He will also address a public meeting at Yogi Chowk, and hold a roadshow in Katargam.
"Within Gujarat, Surat has today become the epicentre of AAP. Surat Municipal Corporation is today the largest civic body in Gujarat. As per our internal survey, AAP is leading in all 12 seats with more vote share than the BJP," state AAP general secretary Manoj Sorathiya told PTI. He added that those associated with the textile and diamond industry were supporting his party.
In fact, AAP has fielded its strong candidates in the region, including state unit president Gopal Italia from Katargam, former Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leaders Alpesh Kathiriya and Dharmik Malaviya from Varaccha Road and Olpad, respectively.
BJP manifesto released
Meanwhile, the ruling BJP has released its manifesto in Gujarat which promises Uniform Civil Code, an anti-radicalisation cell and meals at Rs 5.
The party has also promised to conduct surveys of madrassas (Islamic seminaries) and scrutinize the assets of the Waqf Board besides providing over one lakh government jobs for women over the next five years.
Prime minister Narendra Modi tweeted the BJP's manifesto reveals the "foresight of development" of Gujarat.
The manifesto also includes the creation of "20 lakh employment opportunities" and taking the state's economy to USD one trillion in the next five years. It also promises to double the annual cover for a family under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (Ayushman Bharat) from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. Girls will get free education from "KG to PG" (kindergarten to post-graduation).
The manifesto also promised to start the 'Mukhyamantri Sharanarthi Yojana' for the welfare of refugees in Gujarat who have been given citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act. This will ensure a direct benefit transfer of Rs 10,000 per year for each refugee family for five years after they have received citizenship.
Single window clearance for Aadhaar, voter ID and ration cards, subsidised loans to start businesses as well as scholarships for school students and collegians are also provisions included in the manifesto.