‘BJP Giving New Pace to Development’: PM Modi Takes Stage on Day 2

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) national council meet entered its second day on Saturday, 12 January 2019. The second day saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the gathering. PM Modi said that the BJP government has given a new speed to development.

The Modi government’s outreach to different sections of society is likely to be a key theme of the two-day meet, which is being attended by thousands of delegates at the Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi.

The prime minister said 10 percent reservation in education and government jobs for the youth from economically weaker sections will enhance the confidence of 'New India' and asserted that the new arrangement will not encroach upon anyone's rights.

Modi attacked the Congress over the Ram Temple issue, saying it doesn't want a solution to the Ayodhya dispute and is creating hurdles through its lawyers.

“Congress opposed when we wanted to give Constitutional status to OBC Commission, then again when we introduced the Triple Talaq Bill and also when we amended the Citizenship Bill. Similarly, Congress does not want the Ayodhya issue to get resolved.

ttacking the Opposition in his speech, Modi said the 2019 election is a battle between those who want to protect their 'Sultanate' (throne) and the BJP, which wants to protect the 'Samvidhaan' (Constitution).

The prime minister, while addressing his party’s national executive meet in Delhi, said that the BJP is already working day and night in order to double the income of farmers by 2022.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also accused the Congress of being against the nation’s progress. He said that the Congress has opposed every policy brought in by the BJP government.

From Make in India to GST and Swachh Bharat, the prime minister said that the Congress has opposed every policy of his government, no matter how good for the nation He further accused the party of being anti-institution.

The prime minister also talked about the grand alliance. He said the parties associated with the grand alliance are trying to make a forced government, while the country needs a strong government instead.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after taking stage on the second day of the National Executive Meet, said that the BJP has given a better pace to development projects. He touched upon various topics like the recent 10 percent quota for economically backward, women empowerment, farmers, and other fields the BJP has worked upon in the last 4.5 years.

"Workers make every day good. Today, great warrior Swami Vivekananda was born. He had said, every nation has a nature, it has a message," said PM Modi on the second day of the executive meet.

He began with a tribute to Swami Vivekananda and went on to praise the workers. He also said that this is the first BJP Executive Meeting without former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

BJP President Amit Shah spoke on the second day of the BJP National Executive Meet at Delhi’s Ramlila Grounds. He said that for BJP, it’s not just winning the election, it’s about making the BJP’s good work reach every doorstep.

He also touched upon the SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh, saying that if BJP does what it plans to, no alliance is big enough to beat the BJP.

He also said that the 2019 Lok Sabha is important for the BJP as well as for the country.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, while addressing the National Executive Meet of the Bharatiya Janata Party, said that all alliances break after an election. He said that be it the "Prince of Congress, Didi of Bengal or Behenji of Uttar Pradesh," all the alliances come to an end after an election.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also took the podium to list out what his government has done in UP. He said that his government has given houses to 18 lakh poor individuals, irrespective of their caste or religion, under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

Drawing a comparison from the previous government, he said that only 63,000 houses were built in 5 years of SP rule.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while addressing the BJP National Executive Meet, said that the country has not had a single terror attack since this government came into power.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari took the podium on the second day of the Executive Meet in new Delhi. He started off with criticism of the previous government and then went on to state the BJP government’s good governance.

Gadkari said that in the Modi-led government, there is ease of doing business and development has been quite evident, as promised in the manifesto 4.5 years back.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah have arrived at the Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi to attend the second-day of the BJP National Convention. Home Minister Rajnath Singh, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and former Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan were also spotted in attendance.

The leaders paid respects to Swami Vivekananda, as 12 January also marks his birth anniversary.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address the gathering today.

Speaking at the meeting, Amit Shah reiterated the party’s resolve to build the Ram temple in Ayodhya. “In 2014, we had promised about the Ram Mandir in our manifesto. Even today, we want the mandir to be built at the very spot,” he said.

Amit Shah said the 2019 election is a battle of ideologies and will be remembered for years to come. "This election holds importance for the poor and the youth. Those who were foes have now come together because they know it is not possible to defeat Narendra Modi on their own."

Delivering the inaugural address at the convention, BJP President Amit Shah congratulated PM Modi on the party's behalf over the decisions to introduce 10 percent quota for economically weaker sections in general category, and doubling the exemption limit for GST.

Narendra Modi government's outreach to different sections of society is likely to be a key theme for the two-day BJP national council meeting starting on Friday, 11 January, as thousands of delegates arrive for the mega event that will set the tone for the party's Lok Sabha campaign.

BJP President Amit Shah will inaugurate the event while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to deliver the concluding speech on Saturday, 12 January, which party leaders believe will lay down its agenda for the general elections.

The passage of the bill providing 10 percent reservation in jobs and education for economically weaker sections in the general category has boosted the saffron party's morale after it suffered a blow in the recent Assembly polls where it lost power in all three states it ruled.

The BJP believes that the bill, which will come into force after getting the President's nod – a mere formality – will consolidate its core vote of upper castes in the Hindi –speaking states and also strengthen its appeal among political significant communities like Jats, Patidars and Marathas, among others.

Party sources said the Modi government's measures, like granting constitutional status to the OBC Commission and strengthening the law on atrocities against Dalits and tribals, are likely to be highlighted and projected as part of its "social justice" project.

"The Modi government has empowered every section of society. The party will naturally talk at length about it," they said.

Its measures for farmers, besides various schemes for the welfare of the poor and economic growth will also be discussed, they said.

Shah has often asserted that the BJP will win more seats than the 2014 polls, when it had won its first ever majority by bagging 282 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats.

BJP’s rivals believe that the party is facing a resurgent Congress in several states while the expected alliance of the Samajwadi Party and the BSP will dent its prospects in Uttar Pradesh, making the likelihood of its repeat of 2014 feat challenging.