Prime minister Narendra Modi has written an open letter to the people of Karnataka, the southern Indian state which will go to elections on Wednesday (10) on the eve of the high-profile electoral battle.
"You have always showered me with love and affection. It feels like a divine blessing to me," Modi's letter read.
"In our 'Azaadi ka Amrit Kaal', we Indians have aimed to make our beloved country a developed nation. Karnataka is keen to lead the movement to realise its vision.
"India is the fifth-largest economy. Our next aim is to reach the top three. This is possible only when Karnataka rapidly grows to become a $1 trillion economy."
'Azaadi Ka Amrit Kaal' means the golden era of Independence.
Modi, who has made several visits to the southern state in the run-up to the election, held a 26-kilometre long roadshow in Bengaluru, the capital of the state and also India's Silicon Valley, as part of his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's aggressive campaigning as it looks to tackle a strong challenge thrown at it by opposition parties such as Indian National Congress and Janata Dal (Secular).
In the letter, Modi also highlighted his party's commitment to Karnataka and its people.
"During the COVID-19 pandemic, Karnataka received over ₹90,000 crore annually as foreign investment under the BJP government. It was just around ₹30,000 crore under the previous government," he wrote.
"We want to make Karnataka No.1 in investment, industry and innovation and No.1 in education, employment and entrepreneurship."
Out of the 52 million eligible voters in Karnataka 917,000 will vote for the first time.
Addressing concerns over rural and urban infrastructure, transport and jobs, Modi wrote, "The BJP government will continue to work to create next-gen urban infrastructure in Karnataka, modernise transport, raise the quality of life in rural and urban areas, and create opportunities for women and youth."
"The dream of every citizen of Karnataka is my dream," he said.
In a separate video message, the prime minister also urged the people of Karnataka to vote on the election day to make the state "No. 1".
Karnataka is the only state in southern India where the BJP has succeeded in forming a government. It is keen to retain power in the state where ruling parties have failed to beat the anti-incumbency mood since 1985. The contesting parties are also looking for a big boost in this election ahead of next year's general polls.
The BJP has fielded candidates in all 224 constituencies while the Congress has given 223 and the JD(S) 207.
The results will be announced on Saturday (13).
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