Modi asks voters to throw out Congress in 2014 polls

He asked Indian voters to hold the UPA government for nine years of 'mis-governance'

In a blistering attack on the UPA government, Narendra Modi today asked Indian voters to hold it accountable for nine years of "mis-governance" and to throw out the Congress in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls as they did after the Emergency in 1977.

Drawing a parallel between the elections of 1977 and 2014, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate said, "This government, which has downgraded the country, has to go. Let us affirm that this government has to go democratically.

"We should work for a progressive BJP government...Like 1977, 2014 will be the voice of the people," Modi said, referring to the first time the Congress was voted out of power after the 1975 Emergency.

Speaking to the Indian diaspora in the US through live video conference for the first time after being chosen to run for premiership, Modi accused the UPA government of "running away" from giving a report on its performance since 2004, when it returned to power.

"See the arrogance of the government in Delhi. They are in power for nine years but they are not ready to give performance report," the 63-year-old Gujarat Chief Minister said.

Modi, who has stepped up attacks on the Congress since he was named the BJP's prime ministerial choice, also spoke about a "vested interest group" shielding the "mis-governance" of the Congress but did not elaborate.

"There is a vested interest group that is a Raksha Kavach (protective shield) for the Congress. This vested interest group is active and come 2014, we have to fight both the Congress and this vested interest group," said Modi, who has been denied a US visa since 2005 and has been interacting with NRIs via video-conferencing.