PM Modi in Bastar: 'Teach Congress a lesson for supporting urban Maoists'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday addressed his first election rally in poll-bound Chhattisgarh. PM Modi's first poll rally was held in Jagdalpur, the headquarters of Naxal-hit Bastar district. Launching a scathing attack on the Congress, PM Modi accused the party of supporting urban Maoists who were killing innocent people including jawans. PM Modi recounted the works done by both Raman Singh government as well as the Central government for the development of the state. Slamming the Maoists, PM Modi said that they were handing over guns, in place of pens, to the children of the state.

Highlights: PM Modi's rally in Jagdalpur, Bastar

02:05 pm: PM Modi concludes his speech.

02:04 pm: Please vote in large numbers on Nov 12 following the slogan "baar baar BJP" 

02:03 pm: How can Congress call them revolutionaries, asks PM Modi

02:03 pm: A brave and innocent cameraman from DD, Achutyanand Sahu was killed by Maoists.  Recently our valiant jawans were also martyred in encounter with Maoists,&for Congress party these Maoists are revolutionaries? What sort of vocabulary is this?: PM Modi

02:02 pm: Maoists are killing innocent people, they are killing our jawans but Congress calls them revolutionaries: PM Modi

02:01 pm: What was the fault of the DD cameraman, asks PM Modi

02:00 pm: PM Modi slams the killing of DD cameraman Sahu by Maoists

01:54 pm: It's the habit of Congress to ridicule the cultural of tribals: PM Modi

01:53 pm: Vajpayee was the first PM to create a separate ministry for tribals: PM Modi

01:52 pm: Congress considers poor, Dalits as their vioebank: PM Modi

01:50 pm: Did anybody ever expected to fly to Jagdalpur? We have made it a possibility: PM Modi

01:48 pm: Our govt connected 9,000 villages in Chhattisgarh. We layed a network of National Highways with an investment of Rs 35,000 crore

01:46 pm: Do you want a govt that works or a govt that doesn't work: PM Modi

01:45 pm: The day is not very far when Chhattisgarh will reach to such heights that people from different parts of the country will come here seeking employment, income opportunities: PM Modi

01:43 pm: Urban Naxals are trying to protect, shield Naxals: PM Modi

01:41 pm: For 10 years, Congress was at the Centre, but they never paid attention to the needs of Chhattisgarh and blocked all development for the state. They never thought of the region's progress: PM Modi

01:39 pm: I urge the people of Bastar to teach a fitting lesson to the Congress leaders, who on one hand try to shield the urban Maoists, and in Chhattisgarh, they speak about freeing the state from Maoists: PM Modi

01:37 pm: Urban Maoists live in AC surroundings, move around in big cars and their children study abroad, but they ruin the lives of our poor Adivasi youth here through remote control. Why is Congress supporting these Urban Maoists?: PM Modi

01:35 pm: PM Modi slams urban naxals, says they handed over guns, in place of pens,  in the hands of children.

01:30 pm: We don’t discriminate on the basis of gender and caste. We believe in sabka sath, sabka vikas. My government wants progress for everybody: PM Modi

01:25 pm: Earlier, elections were all about a person's candidate, caste and family. Now everyone thinks of bringing development to his own place: PM Modi

01:22 pm: Have visited Chhattisgarh more than any other Prime Minister and I have never returned empty-handed from the state: PM Modi

01:17 pm: PM Modi begins his speech

01:08 pm: PM Modi arrives at stage

# Police, security agencies on high alert ahaed of PM Modi's rally in Jagdalpur

# Tight security arrangement made for PM Modi's rally in Jagdalpur

Earlier in the day, PM Modi tweeted that he was looking forward to address a rally in Jagdalpur. 

“BJP has assiduously served the people of Chhattisgarh for the last 15 years and I am sure the people will again bless our Party in the coming polls,” he added. 

The first phase on November 12 will see 18 seats of eight Naxal-affected districts go to polls. Of these, 12 are Scheduled Tribe seats while one is a Scheduled Caste-reserved seat.

The ruling BJP had lost 12 of the 18 seats in the 2013 Assembly polls.

The remaining 72 constituencies will witness polling on November 20 and counting of votes will be held on December 11.

A total of1,291 candidates are in the fray for the two phased state polls.

In the 2013 Assemblypolls, the BJP had won 49 seats, Congress 39, BSP 1 and Independent 1 in the 90-member House.