Shah sets 137-plus target for Gujarat

Gandhinagar, Oct 16 (IANS) BJP President Amit Shah on Monday made it clear that the party was seeking votes in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to retain power in Gujarat, and set a target of over three-fourths majority in the 182-member assembly.

"We want a victory by three-fourths majority. When Modi was Chief Minister, we got 127 seats. Now when he is the Prime Minister, this figure looks too small," Shah told thousands of cheering party workers here.

Shah took a dig at Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, who has been leading his party’s campaign in the poll-bound state, saying he had not done enough for his Amethi Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh and was questioning how the BJP has been developing Gujarat.

"Rahul Gandhi has not been able to get a collectorate office made in Amethi and is questioning our work in Gujarat," the BJP President said.

He also lashed out at critics of Modi’s pet project of bullet train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

"They are mocking bullet train but Gujarat’s people love development," Shah said.

Earlier, addressing the crowd, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced waiver of one per cent interest on loans of Rs 3 lakh provided to farmers by the Gujarat government. The loan is being given to 25 lakh farmers annually.