On the issue of terrorism, the Gujarat Chief Minister said, “I have come here to awaken the youth of Karnataka. Do you know what danger Karnataka is being dragged into? Why is it that every time there is a terrorist incident around India, Manmohan Singh’s police come to Karnataka? You may have a bungalow, a car but if your children cannot come back home safely because of terrorists what is the use of peace,” he said.

“In Gujarat, I speak in the language of terrorists. You need to have zero tolerance. The Congress does not have the strength for that. Yeddyurappa has the strength,” Modi said.

An indirect attack on the JDS and “selfish family members who prevented the BJP from ruling the state” got a sizable cheer.

The impassioned speech however received the biggest approval when Modi signed off with the BJP campaign signature-a reference to party symbols-”Goddess Lakshmi does not come to you on a bicycle, an elephant nor is she stopped by any hand, she comes floating on the lotus”.

Two hours later, Modi made his first stop in Bangalore for this campaign. Before a much larger crowd in the Byatarayanapura constituency on the city’s outskirts, he repeated his message.