BJP eyes for bigger majority' in upcoming Assembly polls

New Delhi: The BJP passed a resolution hailing the Modi government for ushering in true “panchayati raj” by sanctioning Rs 80 lakh for every village and Rs 21 crore for small townships. The party claimed the Union Budget was dedicated to the rural poor, farmers and weaker sections.

While Mr Shah inaugurated the two-day national executive meet of the party Saturday evening, the Prime Minister addressed BJP workers at the office-bearers’ meet in the day.

For the BJP chief, who will be looking to bounce back after the party’s back-to-back drubbing in the Assembly polls in Delhi and Bihar, “nationalism” is going to be the key mantra to win the coming elections.

“Our aim should be that the party comes to power in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with a bigger majority,” Mr Shah told leaders, according to a party statement.

With JNU emerging as the nerve centre of the debate on nationalism, Mr Shah attacked Congress scion Rahul Gandhi for going to the campus and not criticising anti-national speeches.

Apparently hinting at AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi’s recent remarks where he had refused to say ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’, the BJP chief said that the slogan was neither the BJP’s nor the Sangh’s “but was there even before the two organisations were formed and a large number of people sacrificed their lives shouting this slogan”.

Earlier, while addressing the office-bearers’ meet, the Prime Minister advised leaders to hold weekly meetings with workers and cautioned them against alienating workers. The PM also asked party leaders to carry the national executive message to the state level and then to mandal level at the earliest.