New Delhi: A day after being appointed the BJP’s national general secretary, Anil Antony, son of veteran Congress leader and former Union minister AK Antony, said he would strive to carry forward the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and make India a developed nation on its centenary year of independence, in 2047.
Speaking to ANI on July 30, the BJP leader dwelt at length on his new role, the challenges ahead of his party in 5 poll-bound states and next year’s Lok Sabha elections. “I am honoured and humbled by the support and confidence shown to me by the party leadership. I want to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi-ji, Amit Shah-ji, and Nadda-ji, among others. I am grateful to everyone who supported and guided me in my political journey, over the years.”
“This is a very important year for us. I am sure each and every one of us, every worker of the party, would be working hard to ensure that our party comes back with an even bigger mandate (in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections) than 2014 and 2019,” Anil Antony added.
Formerly with the Congress, Anil joined the BJP earlier this year after supporting PM Modi and the Centre over the controversial two-part BBC documentary series on the 2002 Gujarat riots.
Announcing his resignation on Twitter, Anil mocked the Congress saying that he received intolerant calls to retract a tweet (in support of PM Modi amid the docu-series row) by those “fighting for free speech”.
A team coordinator of the Social Media team of the Kerala Congress formerly, Anil said he would also work to “expand its vote base” and “footprint” in his native state, which is currently under Left rule, ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha elections.
“I have an opportunity to carry forward the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of transforming this country, taking it forward and making it a developed nation by 2047m when we will be celebrating 100 years of our independence,” he said.
The BJP, on July 29, released a revised list of its central office bearers, drafting in former Telangana unit chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Rajya Sabha MP Radha Mohan Agarwal and Antony, among others, as national general secretaries.
The move came as the party prepares for the upcoming Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. The new list of office-bearers comprised 13 vice presidents and nine general secretaries, including B L Santhosh as the organisation’s in-charge and 13 secretaries.
The BJP aims to boost its presence among the masses ahead of the Assembly polls in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Mizoram. Antony, the son of the former defence minister, joined the BJP in April this year in the presence of Union minister Piyush Goyal. Anil quit the Congress party in January following his critical remarks against the Congress party over BBC raids amid the row over BBC’s documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. ( With Inputs ANI)
