Chaiwala-turned-PM energizes Assamese over tea

The man who grew up by selling tea at railway stations today became Prime Minister. Narendra Modi, therefore, gets energised whenever it's a matter of tea and sympathy. Modi said as much as he began BJP's Assam campaign on Saturday. He said everytime he had Assam tea, he got energized. Assam tea was famous all over the world. Every time you have the cuppa, you are energized. He reminded the Assamese that he began his career by selling Assam tea. He only sold Assam tea. Modi said in his usual `Chai pe charcha' (Talk over tea) style that the BJP's fight was not against the Tarun Gogoi government in this election. It was over corruption and poverty in Assam. In the days of freedom movement, Assam was known to be a rich state. What with tea gardens, and Assam tea being sold all over the world, there was plenty, although the British had amassed a lot of wealth by way of Assam tea. But now under the Congress rule, Assam had been reduced to an impoverished State. Modi, therefore, wished that after the assembly elections the fate of Assam would turn for the better. The BJP had the practice of not declaring its chief ministerial candidates. But in the case of Assam it had made an exception by announcing that Assamese leader Sarbanand would be its chief ministerial nominee. He showered praises on Sarbnaand.