Positive Assembly election results in Assam and news of a good monsoon ahead set the tone for the celebration of the BJP-led government’s two years in office at the Centre.

Opening with a ‘Vikas Parva Maha Rally’ in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi underlined “development and progress” as the twin themes of his team’s two years in office.

He highlighted his government’s achievements in rural development, rural electrification, financial inclusion, hygiene, and India’s standing as a “bright spot” in the global economy.

Attempting to connect with the locals by calling himself an “Uttar Pradeshwallah,” he said: “You know how closely my work is scrutinised. If my government does something wrong, it runs on TV for 24 hours. I welcome this close scrutiny of my work. The government should be held accountable for every day, every paisa.”

Governance pitch

Modi listed “corruption-free” governance in the last two years as among his major achievements. “From the time I delivered my speech in Parliament, I committed myself to the service of the poor. Analyse our work for the last two years and you will find that they are all aimed at fighting poverty. We have worked towards strengthening the federal structure so that the State governments work towards people’s betterment. Our biggest achievement is towards allocating 65 per cent of our financial resources to the States, leaving only 35 per cent with the Centre as also the Gram Panchayats. We plan to allocate ₹2 lakh crore to the Gram Panchayats,” he said.

Modi focussed on rural development, asserting that in 2022, when India celebrates 75 years of Independence, farm income will be doubled. He spoke about soil health cards and the measures adopted to accelerate agricultural growth. “Our lands have been destroyed. So we have given soil health cards so farmers know how to plan ahead. We have big dreams for irrigation. If our farmers are given water, they can grow gold from soil”.

Modi promised to raise the retirement age of government doctors, saying: “Retirement age of all government doctors, both at the Central and State level, will be raised from 60 to 65 years.”

The Prime Minister’s ‘Vikas Parva Maha Rally’ was preceded byMinisters making presentations on Wednesday on the development work taken up by their departments. The Saharanpur rally will be followed up with four similar events in Odisha, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Meghalaya.

BJP President Amit Shah is expected to address the media on Friday to underline the impact of the government’s welfare measures for the common man. Senior ministers, including Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Suresh Prabhu, and JP Nadda, will also address rallies in UP, where elections are to be held next year.

The Centre has also planned a gala event at the Capital’s India Gate, with a number of celebrities expected to participate.

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