At the fag end of electioneering for the two-phased assembly polls in Gujarat, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday published an advertisement carrying an appeal by party veteran and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to bring the party back in power in the state.

Throughout the campaigning for the 182-member assembly, it has been out and out Chief Minister Narendra Modi's [Images] show. With just two days to go for the second phase of polls, scheduled for December 16, the BJP has issued an appeal by Vajpayee in the local newspapers.

Coverage: Gujarat Elections, 2007

Vajpayee, who did not campaign in the polls due to health reasons, tells the people that they again have an opportunity to ensure a good future for the state for five years.

'I am confident that you, as in the past, will choose a government which is committed towards growth and development of the state,' he says in the appeal, asking people to return Modi to power.

He further says, 'Gujarat has made rapid strides towards development in the last few years. It has set new records in the area of development. The development has benefited people belonging to all strata of society.'