Prime Minister Narendra Modi took off this morning in a seaplane from the Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad and landed at Dharoi Dam – about 180 km away – from where he will visit the famous Ambaji temple in Mehsana as campaigning ends for the Gujarat assembly elections today. He will fly back to Ahmedabad the same way. The plane took off from the Sardar Bridge-end amid chants of “Modi-Modi” from BJP workers and other supporters, who gathered at the Sabarmati riverfront to witness this one-of-a-kind event.
The seaplane take-off from the Sabarmati was Plan B after the PM’s roadshow in Ahmedabad today was cancelled. It is designed to draw attention to the development work done by the BJP, which is seeking a fifth straight term in power in Gujarat, in response to the Congress, which has focused its campaign on alleging that the Gujarat model of development is a fail.
As PM Modi announced his sea-plane plan on Twitter on Monday evening, he also said, “With air, roads & rail connectivity, our Government is making efforts for harnessing waterways. All this is for 125 crore Indians,” adding, “The transformation across Gujarat is for everyone to see. Sadly, Congress’ notion of development is making a quick buck and that is why they are unable to see any change for the better.”