Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday literally sounded the poll bugle of the BJP’s election campaign in Himachal as he inaugurated the Rs 1,476 crore AIIMs project in Bilaspur, saying the auspicious occasion of Vijayadashami would bring victory for the party ahead.

“I am fortunate that on Vijayadashami, I have got this opportunity to gift the people of Himachal Pradesh projects worth thousands of crores in health, education, employment and infrastructure,” PM Modi said.

“And also see this coincidence, on Vijayadashami there is also the opportunity to blow the bugle of victory, it has come with the beginning of every future victory,” PM Modi said in reference to the  assembly elections in Himachal.  He said Bilaspur has got the double gift of education and healthcare.

“After handing over the development plans to you here, I am going to witness another cultural heritage and after many years I will have the privilege of being a part of Kullu Dussehra once again. I will also seek blessings for the country by joining the journey of Lord Raghunath ji along with hundreds of deities, the Prime Minister said.

Making a direct connect with the masses, PM Modi also recalled old memories of his visits to bilaspur when he walked around and lived amongst the people in the area during his younger days with party colleagues Dhumal and Nadda. He had also participated in a Rath Yatra in Bilaspur, he added.

While working on this land of Himachal, I have got the opportunity to be a co-traveller of Himachal’s development journey continuously.

The Prime Minister said that while all the leaders of the state were showering praise on him for the development projects in the state, actually it was the people of the Himachal who deserve the credit as they voted for the right candidates and brought them to power.

“The development projects happened because of you. If you would have blessed only Modi ji in Delhi and did not bless Modi ji’s colleagues in Himachal, he would have put obstacles in all these works. It is Jairam ji and his team that the work that I bring from Delhi, these people run it at a high speed, that is why it is happening,” he explained.

“And if this AIIMS is built then it is the power of your one vote, if tunnel is built then you have the power of one vote, if hydro engineering college is made then it is the power of your vote, if medical device park is being built then it is also your power. One vote has power,” he remarked.

And so today I am doing development work one after the other keeping in mind the expectations of Himachal.

He said, “for a long time, we have seen a distorted thinking prevailing in the country regarding development. What was this thought? If there will be good roads, then some will be in the states and some big cities, it will be around Delhi. “

PM Modi pointed out that earlier development of big hospitals and educational institutions was concentrated in and around Delhi. But his government had taken institutions such as AIIMS to the remoter and hill regions of the country.

“In the last 8 years, the country is now moving ahead with new thinking, modern thinking, leaving behind that old thinking,” PM Modi pointed out.

“Today Himachal also has a Central University, IIT, Triple IT, Indian Institute of Management (IIM). AIIMS, the largest institute of medical education and health in the country, is also now increasing the pride of the people of Bilaspur and Himachal,” he explained.

He also praised the contribution of Himachal in the defence of the nation. The state would now play a role saving lives after this AIIMS, he remarked.

“ Till the year 2014, there were only 3 medical colleges in Himachal, out of which 2 were government. In the last 8 years, 5 new government medical colleges have been built in Himachal,” he added.

PM Modi later attended Lord Raghunnath ‘s rath Yatra, an ancient religious tradition in Kullu.

“This is first-time ever in the history of Kullu that a Prime Minister has become part of the mega celebrations to which people are emotionally connected as being a part of Dev-Sanskriti ( deity-culture),” Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said.

Among the projects that the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for is the four-lane of 31-km-long National Highway between Pinjore and Nalagarh. The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of a medical park in Nalagarh. It will be constructed at a cost of Rs 350 crore.