Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said there would never be an economic blockade in Manipur under a Bharatiya Janata Party regime. Speaking at a rally in Imphal, Modi promised voters that in terms of development, the BJP will do in 15 months what the Congress failed to do in 15 years.

Modi’s statements were made in the run up to the elections, where the BJP is pitted against the incumbent Congress, which has been in power for 15 years.

A group of insurgent outfits, the Coordination Committee, had imposed a curfew in the state ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit to Manipur. Bombs had also been found outside the homes of at least two BJP members in the city before the PM’s visit.

Over the last six months, many senior Congress members, including ministers, have shifted their allegiance to the BJP. But the saffron party has found itself without its original allies, the National People’s Party, Naga People’s Front and the Lok Janshakti Party, who have decided to go it alone in the elections.

“Those who cannot ensure peace in the state have no right to govern Manipur. They made brothers here fight each other,” Modi said.

On the contentious Naga accord, Modi assured Manipuris that the agreement was not against the interest of the state. The Modi-led NDA had announced its “historic peace accord” with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) in August 2015. After the announcement, chief ministers of Assam, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh, which have a significant Naga population, had said the Centre had not taken them into confidence in the negotiations, The Hindu reported.

On Saturday, Modi also accused the Congress of using the accord as an election gimmick. “We had informed about the accord with all details a year and a half ago,” Modi said. He said he was the only prime minister to have visited the North East for a North East Council meeting in 40 years.

Polls will be held for the 60-seat Manipur assembly in two phases on March 4 and March 8. Results will be announced on March 11.