Porbandar (Gujarat) [India], May 4 : Ahead of the third phase of voting, BJP candidate from Porbandar Lok Sabha constituency in Gujarat Mansukh Mandaviya held a padyatra at Virpur in Gujarat's Rajkot district.
Speaking with ANI, the Union Minister said, "A lot of people including me are taking part in the padyatra. This shows their faith in the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We will win the Porbandar Lok Sabha seat with over five lakh votes when the results will be out on June 4."
On the '400 par" slogan (NDA winning more than 400 Lok Sabha seats), he said, "You can see the reality (while pointing towards the crowd). This is not only in Gujarat. There is only one environment (people supporting the BJP) across the Country. Under the leadership of the PM Modi, an NDA government would again be formed".
Replying to a query, he said, "Whenever any Congress leader speaks, he seems to be irritated as they are not getting the mandate. The earth has been pulled from under their feet. The public is showing their faith and trust in the leadership of PM Modi. It's effect is being felt in his (PM Modi) speeches".
Mandaviya is pitted against Congress' Lalit Vasoya, a former MLA who comes from the Patidar community, in the battle for the Porbandar Lok Sabha seat. BJP candidate Mansukh Mandaviya, before becoming a Rajya Sabha member, was elected an MLA from the Palitana assembly seat of Bhavnagar in 2002.
A total of 12 candidates are in the fray for the Porbandar Lok Sabha seat and around 17,94,000 voters will decide their fate.
Voting for 25 out of 26 seats in Gujarat is set to take place in the third phase of the ongoing general elections on May 7.
However, voting will not take place in Surat as BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal was declared elected unopposed last week. This decision came after the nomination of Congress' Nilesh Kumbhani was rejected, and other candidates withdrew from the contest. The election results will be announced on June 4.