Tinsukia (Assam), Mar 26 (NDTV): Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a new slogan during his election campaign rally in Assam's Tinsukia today. "I am not fighting Gogoi but Gareebi (poverty)," Mr Modi said as he began his campaign for the BJP which hopes to wrest power from the Congress which has ruled the state under Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for 15 years now.

At Tinsukia, which is also the Lok Sabha constituency of Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Sarbananda Sonowal, Mr Modi projected his colleague as the future chief minister of the north eastern state where the BJP has never been in power.

"This election is going to cause a loss to Delhi. I am also going to be affected. One of the most important ministers in my government is Sarbananda. I will have to send him to Assam to serve the people," Mr Modi said.

He pitched the 53-year-old Mr Sonowal against the 79-year-old Chief Minister. "Assam's leader will be 90 years old in a few days. He says he's fighting with Modi. I have respect for you Chief Minister ji. You are old," Mr Modi said.

The party has decided to project Mr Sonowal as its chief ministerial candidate. "Assam is among the five poorest states in India. Assam was counted among the richest, who made it the poor?" he questioned. "I want nothing more, give Sarbananda five years. This election will give Assam a young chief minister...The day is not far when children will be taught A for Assam in schools," PM Modi said as he declared the development of Assam as his party's only agenda. Unemployment among youth is a burning issue in the state which ranks among the five worst states on employment indices in the country.

Mr Modi in his election tour of Assam will hold seven rallies in two days. The party is contesting 91 of the 126 assembly constituencies in the state. The BJP won seven of the state's 14 Lok Sabha seats in the 2014 general election securing a lead in more than half the assembly constituencies and polling nearly 37 per cent votes, seven per cent more than the Congress.

"There is no drinking water here. I can understand this happening in states where there are deserts. But the Brahmaputra flows here...2000 villages don't even have an electric pole," Mr Modi said as he listed the state government's failings. "We sent money from Delhi for constructing houses for the poor but they couldn't spend even a fourth of it. The money is lying in the bank," he said.