New Delhi: Congratulating Gujarat unit chief C. R. Patil for the resounding poll win, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent across a message Wednesday to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) rank and file, saying that performance will always be “good” if every state unit functions like the one in Gujarat.
At the BJP’s parliamentary party meeting, the first after the results of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh were declared on 8 December, Modi lauded Patil for his efforts to build a robust organisation in the state where the party broke all previous records by winning 156 seats.
“Without mentioning the defeat in Himachal, Modi said, ‘If every state unit functions as Gujarat unit, then the performance of the party will always be good’,” a BJP leader, who attended the meeting, told ThePrint.
In Himachal, the BJP lost power despite party chief J. P. Nadda personally taking over the poll preparations in his home state. The BJP ended up with 25 seats in the 68-member Himachal assembly, while the Congress secured a clear majority with 40.
Another insider, an MP, said that Modi juxtaposed the results of Gujarat and the erstwhile Left Front-ruled West Bengal to highlight the work done by the BJP in his state.
“The PM’s message was to learn from the Gujarat unit as the party lost Himachal by one per cent vote whereas the BJP is ruling Gujarat for the last 27 years despite any hiccup. He compared West Bengal with his home state. He said in 27 years of the Left Front rule, Bengal became ‘badhal’ (bad condition) and look where we are in Gujarat,” the MP told ThePrint.
Modi was effusive in his praise of Patil as the PM pointed out that he never saw the Gujarat BJP chief getting photographed on stage, the BJP sources said. “He (Patil) has worked on the Panna Samiti model and made a robust (party) organisation. Everyone should congratulate him…Credit should be given to C.R. Patil for the grand victory in Gujrat,” Modi was quoted as saying by the BJP sources.
In the BJP meeting, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw made a presentation on the Indian economy vis-a-vis with others to inform members about the financial health of the country.
Vaishnaw informed that India’s economy was growing despite Covid and global events like the Ukraine war, the BJP insiders said.
“Vaishnaw’s presentation was to sensitise MPs before budget (to be presented in Gujarat) as well as to make them aware of outreach programmes to be soon initiated by the party as the issue of employment is being continuously raised by the opposition,” a BJP leader said.
Modi, meanwhile, also highlighted India taking up the presidency of G-20 from 1 December to his party colleagues. “He told the BJP MPs to organise programmes to utilise such an opportunity to showcase India’s rising power in global order,” a BJP leader said.
The PM exhorted his party colleagues to become a part of this celebration and make people part of the festivities, the BJP leaders said.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
Also Read: ‘Nadda’s interventions, misplaced focus on PoK over OPS’ — many reasons for BJP’s Himachal loss.