From Home Turf, PM Modi Promises to Regain India’s Lost Position in World in Next 5 Years

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday returned to his home state of Gujarat for the first time after winning a historic mandate in the Lok Sabha elections last week.

He later called on his mother and sought her blessings.

Addressing a public rally in Ahmedabad, Modi said the vote in 2019 had been one for pro-incumbency and positivity and the next five years will be the time to regain India’s rightful position in the world order.

"The next five years will be very important in the history of the country, as was the period between 1942 to 1947," Modi said. "Next five years will be the time to regain the rightful position of India in the world order. In the past our country had that place. I am sure India will regain its importance in the world order."

Modi said he had been confident of a big win in the elections.

“After the sixth phase of polling itself, I had said that it’s 300-plus for us. When I said it, people mocked me. But the results are for everyone to see,” Modi said. “It is historic to see such a big mandate being given. The people had decided that they want a strong government again.”

Modi said the big mandate had brought with it big responsibilities. “It is important to remain humble and grounded in the wake of such a massive win,” he said. “We have to utilise these five years to solve issues of the common citizens. These have to be five years of all-round development. We have to further enhance India’s position at the world stage.”

Modi said his government’s main aim would be to ensure that citizens are brought to the forefront of this campaign. “The coming five years have to be years of ‘jan bhagidari’ (public participation) and ‘jan chetna’ (public awareness),” he said.

Modi said that people not just in India but across the world had supported the BJP during the elections. “The coming five years is the time to regain India’s lost position in the world order,” he said.

Modi described the Surat fire tragedy, in which 22 persons were killed on Friday, as “heartbreaking”. A blaze had swept through a multistorey building in the city.

Modi later visited the Khanpur office of the party and recalled how he "learnt a lot sitting in a small room" there. He spent around 20 minutes inside the office. He was accompanied by BJP national president Amit Shah, state president Jitu Vaghani, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, state home minister Pradipsinh Jadeja and other party leaders.