New Delhi: BJP workers have to become a bridge of faith for the common man, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed in his valedictory address at the party’s National Executive meeting Sunday.
In a speech lasting around 50 minutes, Modi gave this mantra to party members, asking them to continue doing ‘seva’. He highlighted that the BJP is not centred on any family; its values are “seva, sankalp, samarpan” (service, resolve, dedication).
Addressing the media after the PM’s speech, Union minister and senior BJP leader Bhupender Yadav said: “BJP workers have to become a bridge for common man. From the start, BJP connected with the common man. It is not a family based party. The party has moved ahead with hard work and dedication of workers.”
Yadav said the chief ministers and BJP presidents of poll-bound states informed the National Executive about their preparedness. “Apart from the chief ministers who explained the work done by their respective governments, the Punjab (BJP) president also presented his views,” he said. The meeting was held in hybrid mode — state leaders attended it virtually.
A BJP leader who did not wish to be named said PM Modi pointed out that if today the world is praising India, “it is not because of someone called Modi, it is because of the will and confidence of the people and the faith they have in the BJP workers”.
According to sources, PM Modi also mentioned the recent bypoll results to boost the morale of the workers.
The BJP leader said Modi mentioned how, despite losing Ellenabad in Haryana, the party managed to give stiff competition to eventual winner Abhay Chautala of the Indian National Lok Dal.
“We fought on issues of farmers’ welfare and the fact we got such support shows the common public is in favour of the farm laws. In Andhra Pradesh, our vote share increased tremendously. He said we need to focus and work hard,” the leader said.
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‘Service is highest form of worship’
According to a second BJP leader who attended the meet, PM Modi’s speech stressed on the importance of ‘seva’.
“Service is the highest form of worship. A new culture of service has been demonstrated by the karyakartas of the BJP. The ‘seva hi sangathan’ programme has served the nation during tough times like the Covid-19 pandemic,” the leader quoted Modi as saying.
According to another leader who attended the meeting, Modi said knowledge does not come only from books, but comes from the experience of meeting people with affinity and working among them.
A fourth leader added that the PM also said it is important to focus on the issues that one raises before and after the elections.
“PM said we should focus on the issues we have raised before the people during, before and after elections, and should continue doing so. Sometimes in the fight for the chair, we tend to forget the issues raised during the process of securing the chair. We must pursue the issues of service to the nation in spite of everything. We all have to learn, and learning is a continuous process,” said this leader.
‘Honour those who helped party grow even if they’ve left’
In his speech at the meeting that lasted over seven hours, Modi also stressed on the need to honour those workers and leaders who were with the party since the beginning, and even those who may have left the party but played a crucial role in its growth.
“Even if they have left us, we should mention the work they have done for the growth of this party when they were in the party. Because they were there to build the party and take it where we are now,” said Modi, according to one of the leaders cited above.
Modi also mentioned the presentations made by state CMs and party chiefs, and called it an example of the “beauty of service”.
“When I was listening to the state presidents and CMs of the five states going to elections, I realised how the confidence they have is derived from the satisfaction of the work they have done for their states in the past five years. This is the beauty of service,” the leader said, quoting the PM.
Bhupender Yadav, meanwhile, said the PM expressed confidence that the BJP will win the people’s trust, as it has been moving forward by highlighting issues close to the people.
(Edited by Shreyas Sharma)
(This report has been updated to correct a reference to the Ellenabad bypoll in Haryana)
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