Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi took off this morning in a sea-plane from the Sabarmati River here to Dharoi Dam in Mehsana district on the last day of campaigning for the Gujarat Assembly polls.

Modi boarded the single-engine sea-plane from near the Sardar Bridge connecting the old city with Ahmedabad West, the first-ever flight by such a craft in the country.

A special jetty was constructed to facilitate the prime minister’s boarding from the river.

The plane took off from the Sardar Bridge-end amid chants of “Modi-Modi” from BJP workers and other city dwellers, who flocked the Sabarmati Riverfront to witness this one-of-a-kind event.

The plane would land at Dharoi dam reservoir in Mehsana.

From Dharoi, the prime minister would proceed to Ambaji Temple in Banaskantha district via road. After visiting the temple, he would return to Ahmedabad by the sea-plane in the evening.

“I will travel from Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad to Dharoi Dam via sea plane. After that, will offer prayers to Maa Amba at Ambaji. With air, roads & rail connectivity, our Government is making efforts for harnessing waterways. All this is for 125 crore Indians!” Mr Modi said in a tweet. His return journey would also be by the same sea-plane.

At an election rally on Monday, the Prime Minister has said, “Tomorrow for the first time in the history of the country a sea-plane will land on the Sabarmati river.”

Mr Modi also said, BJP had planned a road show in Ahmedabad on Tuesday but the city police denied permission for the same. “……I had time so I decided to go to Ambaji in the sea-plane,” the Prime Minister said.

“We cannot have airports everywhere, so our government has planned to have these sea-planes,” he added.

The high-decibel election campaign for the second phase of polling on December 14 will come to an end on Tuesday evening.

The first phase of polling took place on December 9 while counting of votes for elections to 182-member Gujarat assembly as also Himachal Pradesh assembly will take place on December 18.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani yesterday said this is for the first time in the country’s history that a sea-plane will land on a water body and that will be the Sabarmati river.