Like most ‘National Executive’ meetings of the BJP, the ongoing two-day conclave in New Delhi has kept the top leaders busy, most on their toes, and the hundreds of karyakartas have a lot to take back home. The main message remains that BJP politics is not about power, pleasure and a relaxed career.
It is a challenging game and a great national responsibility. Hence the few important messages make a lot of sense. One major takeaway is BJP Party President J P Nadda’s intense urge that the party should be battle-ready and prepare well to win all 9 Assembly polls in 2023.
J P Nadda asked party leaders and workers to learn from Prime Minister Narendra Modi how he worked in the Gujarat Assembly polls. Briefing media, party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad quoted BJP national president saying that the BJP’s victory in the Gujarat Assembly elections was historic and extraordinary.
Nadda said 72,000 booths were identified in 100 Lok Sabha constituencies where the BJP was weak, but the party workers had shown enthusiasm and reached out to 1.30 lakh booths to strengthen the party base.
Nadda, in his address, also talked about the Panch Pran given by the Prime Minister, which includes freedom from traces of the colonial past, holding pride in Indian tradition, ensuring a developed India, unity in diversity, and making citizens responsible towards the nation. He also highlighted the work culture of New India, citing the example of the COVID vaccination programme, which provided over 220 crore doses.
The BJP president hailed India as the “world’s fifth-largest economy, second-largest manufacturer of mobile phones, and third-largest manufacturer in the auto sector”. He also highlighted that the highway being built every day has risen from 12 km to 37 km.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told journalists that the BJP executives took stock of various developments, including reports from poll-bound Karnataka and three North-Eastern States.
She also said, “The opposition continuously ran negative campaigns against BJP and used abusive language to attack the PM on many issues like Pegasus, Rafael deal, Enforcement Directorate, money laundering, Central Vista…. All these cases were fought in court and judgement has been in favour of the Central Government”. “In fact, the Supreme Court crushed the Opposition’s negative campaigns and exposed them through legal responses,” she said.
“Kashi Tamil Sangaman was also discussed during the meeting today and the PM’s contribution to reviving religious and traditional heritage was appreciated,” she said.
Nirmala Sitharaman also said, “In Gujarat, we have registered victory by changing anti-incumbency to pro-incumbency. This is not an ordinary but a historic victory. The impact of Gujarat’s victory will definitely be seen in the upcoming elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections”.
On the Himachal poll outcome, she said, “we found it difficult to change the custom, but the difference between victory and defeat was less than one per cent. This was also discussed”.
FM Sitharaman said that during the meeting, it was discussed that India’s global image is very high by the efforts of the Prime Minister, be it G20, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, or UN Security Council leadership, for a short period.
She said the national executive also thanked Prime Minister Modi for the global acceptance of the G20 mantra under India’s presidency of ‘One Earth, One Family and One Future’.
In the valedictory session on January 17, Prime Minister Modi will address the party leaders.
Prime Minister Modi held a roadshow before the start of the meeting, and cultural performances were also held along the roadside.
An exhibition that the BJP put on at the location of its national executive meeting focused on cultural nationalism and the construction of the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
The exhibition was organised around six main themes, including “flag bearers of culture”. It showed the rebuilding of the Kashi Vishwanath and Mahakaleshwar temples. The party also highlighted Modi’s initiatives in making India into a “Vishwa Guru” in the exhibition.
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