BJP meet sets tone for 2019 Lok Sabha elections

New Delhi: After the BJP’s stupendous performance in the recently-held Assembly elections, the party top brass on Thursday asked leaders and legislators to be ready for the 2019 general election, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi informing them that “na main baithunga na baithne doonga (I will not rest, nor will I let others rest).” BJP president Amit Shah asked party leaders to be ready for the Lok Sabha elections, and asserted that the party’s recent victories were an outcome of people’s vote against casteism, family rule and corruption, and in favour of Mr Modi’s leadership.

The BJP parliamentary party gave a standing ovation to Mr Modi and also passed a resolution on the party’s “extraordinary performance” in the Assembly elections in five states.

Later, Mr Modi was also greeted in the Rajya Sabha by the treasury benches, who responded to Congress members’ “dekho dekho, kaun aaya hai (look who has come)”, by saying: “Hindustan ka sher aaya hai (the lion of India has come).” It was Mr Modi’s first visit to the Upper House after the verdict, and he sat for 15 minutes.

Earlier, at the parliamentary party meeting, Mr Modi gave a roadmap to party leaders, that included reaching out to the youth and continuing with the dalit outreach programme. Apparently referring to party leaders’ tendency to make controversial statements, Mr Modi also thanked them for refraining from such statements during the campaign, particularly in UP, when he said “Un lalon ka bhi abhinandan jinhone muh par taala band rakha”. The BJP had specially flown in prasadam from Tirupati to congratulate Mr Modi and Mr Shah for the party’s triumph. Nearly 600 ladoos were brought from Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam by the parliamentary party office.

Addressing the parliamentary party meeting, Mr Modi asked leaders to organise an exercise between the party’s foundation day on April 6 and Bhim Rao Ambedkar’s birth anniversary on April 14, urging leaders to make the youth the “ambassadors” of his government’s work.

The BJP will organise various events at the booth level and at “shakti kendras” across the country, with leaders told to spend 72 hours with the people and the cadre. As Mr Modi asked the leader to take up various programmes to reach out to people when his government completes three years on May 26, he said: “Na main baithunga na baithne doonga”.

The BJP will celebrate its foundation day on April 6, when its leaders and workers will take part in a Swachchh Bharat campaign. Mr Modi urged all leaders to work during the week to give a boost to the use of the BHIM app, a digital payment application, by educating the masses about it and helping them download it. The leaders were also asked to publicise Ambedkar’s works and contributions. He said the app can liberate small traders from the clutches of moneylenders and be a tool of social transformation. Those using it the most will also be given incentives, he added.

Asking BJP leaders to make the youth the “ambassadors” of the Centre’s public welfare and good governance projects, Mr Modi said young people depend on mobile phones more than newspapers and TV channels to get information. He also asked MPs to give their suggestions ahead of his government’s third anniversary on May 26.

Mr Shah noted that the five state elections were cited as the BJP’s biggest electoral challenge after the 2014 Lok Sabha victory, he said the next parliamentary election in 2019 would be the next big challenge and asked party leaders to start making preparations for it. He asked them not to be complacent. “The next target is 2019,” he said.

Mr Shah said the party’s victory underlined the people’s support for the welfare schemes launched by the Central government and a “brave decision” like demonetisation.