Nine poll-bound states on BJP\'s cross hairs this year

NEW DELHI: Emphasising the political importance of the nine state Assembly polls to be held this year in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, BJP president J.P. Nadda on Monday told BJP leaders and cadre to ensure the party’s victory in all states.

The two-day-long BJP national executive meeting began in the national capital on Monday. The meeting was also attended by the party’s top brass, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The national executive is likely to extend the tenure of  Nadda, which is ending on January 20.  

The national executive hailed Modi for his efforts in the global branding of India and also for strengthening the cultural and spiritual heritage of the country, citing the Kashi Vishwanath corridor, redevelopment in Kedarnath and Badrinath and the ongoing construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya among others.

The meet also thanked Nadda for his untiring efforts during the recently held Assembly elections.

Modi will be giving the valedictory speech on Tuesday where he is likely to share mantras with the party leaders and cadre for the upcoming electoral battles.

The meeting, through a political resolution, also condemned the Opposition for running the negative campaign over several issues against the government and launching "personal attacks" on Modi, and asserted that Supreme Court verdicts, including Pegasus, Rafale and Central Vista cases, exposed it.

Noting that 2023 is a very crucial year, Nadda asked the party leadership to be ready with full commitment to win all the poll-going states.

That "Garib Kalyan" will be the BJP’s main poll plank for the coming electoral battles was evident as ‘Garib Kalyan, Hamara Sankalp’ banner was donning the main entrance of the venue, which also had cutouts of Rafale, Statue of Unity, Vande Bharat train, Subhash Chandra Bose’s statue under the canopy at India Gate, were erected at the venue.

"National president exhorted all the national executive members to be ready with full commitment to ensure that BJP wins all the nine Assembly elections scheduled for 2023 as a prelude to 2024 Lok Sabha elections, we have not to lose any state," said senior BJP leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad while quoting Nadda.

To a question whether the first day of the meeting had any discussion on Nadda’s tenure, the senior BJP leader replied in negative.

The meeting also assessed the party’s performance during the recent Assembly polls in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. While the party hailed the "historic and extraordinary" Gujarat mandate, it agreed to "aage theek karne ki jaroorat hai (needs to be corrected)" its efforts in Himachal Pradesh where the margin between the winning Congress and the BJP was less than one per cent.

Nadda also noted the efforts of the BJP cadre in BRS-ruled Telangana and sounded confident that the party will form government in the state ruled by BRS chief K. Chanrashekhar Rao. 

As part of activities to further strengthen the organisation, Nadda informed the gathering that the party has crossed the earlier target to identify and strengthen "kamzor booths" as suggested by the PM. Nadda said the party has reached out at 1.30 lakh booths. The BJP will mark the 200th anniversary of Dayanand Saraswati on February 12 to reach out to "address the concern of last mile marginalised person."

Citing the projects of "cultural pride", like Kashi Vishwanath corridor, redevelopment of Kedarnath and Badrinath and the construction of Ram Mandir, Nadda said under Modi’s leadership, efforts are on to promote the country’s heritage.

Noting how India surpassed the UK to become the fifth largest economy and how India is the second biggest manufacturer of mobile phones and ‘Made in India’ efforts undertaken by the Modi government, Nadda also cited how the country saw a member of the tribal community being nominated at the highest constitutional post.

The meeting also saw a political resolution moved by Union minister Kiren Rijiju, which accused the Opposition of running a negative campaign and using abusive language against the government, especially the Prime Minister.

The resolution asserted that Supreme Court verdicts exposed the Oppositions’ campaign against Modi and the BJP. UP deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and Karnataka minister Govind Karjol seconded the resolution.

Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who briefed the media about the resolution, cited a number of issues over which the Opposition had built a campaign against the government, including Rafale, Pegasus, Central Vista project, demonetisation and EWS quota, and said the Supreme Court verdicts in the government’s favour on them exposed it.

"Unfounded allegations were levelled against PM Modi but the crushing legal response exposed the Opposition," she said, citing political resolution.

Sitharaman said PM Modi is seen as "an incorruptible leader who is working for
the country’s interest and whose leadership has found respect globally. India’s
image under his leadership has also been enhanced."

The minister said the PM’s assertion that this is not an era of war during his
telephonic talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin echoed in the G20 declaration at Bali and his push for United Nations reform has been recognised.

The political resolution lauded the BJP’s historic verdict in the Gujarat assembly
polls and a number of bypolls to assert that it will have an impact on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
 "The Gujarat mandate will have an impact on coming assembly polls and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls," said Ms Sitharaman while citing data on the BJP’s performance.

The meeting also noted the "permanent bridge" that PM Modi has made between him and the common man through his monthly radio show ‘Mann Ki Baat." The resolution also noted the "seva" of the PM towards the Sikh community while citing the dedication of December 26 as ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ to mark the martyrdom of Sikh guru Gobind Singh’s sons.

Around 350 national executive members, including several union ministers and
senior state leaders attended the meeting. Chief ministers of BJP-ruled states, and state unit chiefs among others are attending the meeting.

The BJP leadership was briefed about the organisational activities in poll going states of Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Karnataka by leaders of respective state units.