PM Modi Writes Letter To NDA Candidates Contesting Phase 1 Polls With 'Modi ki Guarantee' Stamp

New Delhi:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote a personalised letter to all National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates contesting in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections, scheduled to be held on April 19. Addressing the candidates as his "fellow karyakarta," Prime Minister Modi emphasised that this election is far from ordinary.  "Families across India, especially the senior members, would remember the difficulties they have gone through in the 5-6 decades of Congress' rule. In the last 10 years, the quality of life of every section of society has improved, with many of these troubles removed. Yet a lot more is still to be done and this election will be decisive in our mission to ensure a better life for everyone," PM Modi's letter read.

As part of an extensive initiative by the BJP, the Prime Minister's letter represents a concerted effort to ensure that every corner of a constituency receives his message.  

In his letter to Tamil Nadu's BJP president, K Annamalai, who is fighting from Coimbatore, PM Modi said, “I congratulate you on your decision to leave a prestigious job and commit to serving the people directly. You have been truly instrumental in fortifying the BJP's grassroots presence across Tamil Nadu, championing critical issues including law enforcement, governance, and youth empowerment. Coimbatore stands to gain immensely from your committed leadership”. 

"With the blessings of the people, I am confident that you will reach the Parliament. Team members like you are a great asset to me. As a team, we will leave no stone unturned for the welfare of the people of the constituency and the country," the Prime Minister added. 
 

A key aspect of this initiative is the emphasis on translating the letter into regional languages, ensuring that the PM's words connect deeply with diverse communities nationwide. The recipients of these letters, BJP and NDA candidates, were surprised by this gesture, recognizing its significance in fostering stronger connections with voters.

Inspired by the Prime Minister's gesture, candidates have vowed to extend this outreach by ensuring that each voter in their constituency receives a copy of the letter.

Campaigning Ends For The First Phase of LS Polls

Meanwhile, campaigning ended Wednesday for 102 Lok Sabha seats across 21 states and Union territories which will go to polls in the first phase on April 19 with top leaders of the BJP-led NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc making a last-gasp effort to woo voters.

Leading the charge, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took whirlwind tours of various constituencies in the past few days, addressing rallies and holding roadshows, and asserting that he went to people with hope in 2014, trust in 2019 and guarantee in 2024. Many times he said there is "Modi's guarantee across the country and I am giving the guarantee of fulfilling all these guarantees".

Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and several of their cabinet colleagues, leaders of the Congress such as Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, and other parties also canvassed for their candidates.

The BJP has come out all guns blazing at the INDIA bloc over corruption, dynasty politics and insulting the Constitution and Hinduism.

The BJP in its manifesto prioritised development and welfare while shunning populist measures and contentious issues like the NRC.

Named "Modi ki Guarantee", the manifesto largely built on the government's existing welfare schemes targeted at different sections of society, while reiterating the BJP's commitment to roll out one-nation-one-election and Uniform Civil Code, two issues mentioned in its 2019 manifesto too.

Eight Union Ministers in Fray

Eight Union ministers - Nitin Gadkari, Kiren Rijiju, Sarbanada Sonowal, Sanjeev Baliyan, Jitendra Singh, Bhupendra Yadav, Arjun Ram Meghwal and L Murugan, two former chief ministers - Biplab Kumar Deb (Tripura) and Nabam Tuki (Arunachal Pradesh), and former governor Tamilisai Soundararajan (Telangana) are among those in fray.

In 2019, the UPA had won 45 of these 102 seats and the NDA 41. Six of these seats have been redrawn as part of the delimitation exercise.

Polling will be held in all seats of Tamil Nadu (39), Uttarakhand (5), Arunachal Pradesh (2), Meghalaya (2), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1), Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1), Puducherry (1), Sikkim (1) and Lakshadweep (1).

Besides, there will be voting in 12 seats in Rajasthan, 8 in Uttar Pradesh, 6 in Madhya Pradesh, 5 seats each in Assam and Maharashtra, 4 in Bihar, 3 in West Bengal, 2 in Manipur, and one seat each in Tripura, Jammu and Kashmir and Chhattisgarh.