AUTO REFRESH ON Recalling his inauguration of the country's longest rail-cum-road bridge at Bogibeel in upper Assam on December 25, Modi said, "I am fortunate to be with the people of Assam for the second time in 10 days. The Barak and Brahmaputra valleys are a source of inspiration not only for the state but also for the country."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated eight projects during his one-hour visit to Manipur on Friday. He also laid the foundation stones of four other projects, which will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 1,500 crore.
Despite a boycott call given by some insurgent outfits, there was a huge crowd at Hapta Kangjeibung where Modi addressed a public meeting.
The prime minister said that Delhi was now closer to the northeastern region. He said: "As prime minister, I have visited the region 30 times."
Modi arrived at Imphal amid a shutdown and boycott imposed by some underground organisations protesting against his visit. Normal life was disrupted during the shutdown. All shops, commercial institutes, schools and colleges were shut.
Further, the prime minister assured the people of Assam that no genuine citizen would be left out of the NRC and hoped that the citizenship Bill would soon get the Parliament's nod.
The prime minister arrived at Silchar in the Cachar district from Imphal as part of the first phase of his election campaign, wherein he is scheduled to address rallies in 20 states in 100 days before the model code of conduct comes into force.
The BJP and its allies are setting the target to win 21 out of the 25 parliamentary seats in the eight states in the region. In Assam, the party hopes to win at least 11 of the 14 seats.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, BJP had made massive inroads in Assam, winning seven of its 14 parliamentary seats. In the 2016 Assembly polls, the party emerged as the single-largest party with 61 seats, while its alliance partners, AGP and BPF, had won 14 and 12 seats, respectively.