Ahmedabad: Terming his election victory as a "positive vote", a beaming Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi yesterday urged all parties and all well-meaning citizens to rise above political prejudices and rededicate themselves to the progress of the state.

"This is a positive vote. This vote was to return the government to power," a confident Modi told reporters at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office here.

"The people of Gujarat have rejected the negative campaign and given a positive vote. The anti-Gujarat forces have been defeated," said Modi as he appealed to his supporters to accept the verdict with humility.

Golden jubilee

He described the victory as the "fruit of toil" of party workers. He also appealed to all political camps to work for the betterment of the state. "Gujarat is celebrating its golden jubilee in 2010. I appeal to all political parties, all those who love Gujarat, and well-wishers inside and outside the country, to support the development of the state."

Crediting the party cadres and the national leadership as well as the people of Gujarat for the victory, he said: "I thank the people of Gujarat for giving me the responsibility of governance for another term. I humbly accept the historic verdict of the people. Let us rise above political equations and rededicate ourselves for the development of the state. The credit for the victory goes not to me or the BJP but to the five-and-a-half crore (55 million) people of Gujarat - because the agenda for the election was set not by any political party but by them.

"After an election fought on the issue of development, this is a victory of the people of Gujarat. By defeating the anti-Gujarat elements, Gujarat has made its decision to continue its victory march."

Modi also thanked his party and its senior leaders "for putting confidence in me as a BJP worker".

As he arrived at the BJP office from his official residence in the capital Gandhinagar, he was greeted by thousands of party supporters who shouted "Modi Zindabad".

State BJP president Purushottam Rupala garlanded him and the two leaders offered sweets to each other and then to supporters. In a gesture, not different from the one he made at the same spot almost exactly five years ago, Modi smiled at the crowd and made a victory sign before Rupala led him in to address the press.

Muslims hope for amity

Gujarat's Muslims yesterday welcomed Chief Minister Narendra Modi's victory in the assembly elections but hoped for continued peace and economic development over the next five years.

"The community is happy because there has been no large-scale violence during the last five years," said Amin Sayyed, a community leader from the Panigate locality of Vadodara.

"Sayyed said Modi had not targeted Muslims with vitriolic comments during the campaign, unlike in 2002. "He did not talk about Godhra (the scene of communal violence in 2002) or revenge," he said.

"Muslims have no problems with Modi running the government if there are no problems created for the community," said Mohammad Kalim Mansoori of Ahmedabad.

Survivors of the sectarian strife were, however, downcast. "Now we do not know if we will ever get justice. His government has done nothing for us in five years, what do we expect from him in the next five years?" asked Ayeshabibi, who lives in an ad hoc rehabilitation camp on the outskirts of the city.