People not satisfied with mere slogans, PM tells party

Modi asks party cadres to follow a seven-point talisman, advises them to cultivate a sense of service, balance and patience

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is yet to resolve its confusion on who would be its chief ministerial candidate for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls and whether at all it should announce one. But the aggression in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah's speeches at a public rally here underscored the importance of a good performance by the BJP in the UP elections, slated for early 2017, if Modi is to return as prime minister in 2019.

Both Modi and Shah appealed to the people of UP to reject the nepotism, casteism and lawlessness wrought by Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, who were hand-in-glove in corruption. Modi credited the people of UP for enabling BJP to win a majority of seats in the Lok Sabha elections and that the state has given India several of its prime ministers. BJP, along with its ally Apna Dal, won 73 of UP’s 80 seats in 2014. Shah was more direct. “The road to Delhi goes via Lucknow. BJP forming a government in the state in 2017 will pave Modi's way to Delhi in 2019,” he said.

While Modi stayed away from the more contentious issues and promised development to the youth of the state and to its farmers, Shah raked up alleged exodus of Hindus from Kairana in western UP.  

Earlier in the day, Modi also spoke at the concluding day of the BJP's national executive meeting which passed two resolutions – a political resolution on Modi government’s people friendly policies and another on its recent electoral achievements in Assam and Kerala. He told the party executive, which comprises nearly 120 of its topmost leaders from across the country, that people aren’t satisfied with mere slogans but wanted to see policies and actions that make India a stronger nation.

He noted that BJP has reached the zenith of its geographical expansion and the height of its popularity and gave party cadres a seven-point talisman, which they should follow in their personal conduct and while devising policies of the party. The prime minister asked party cadres to have – sevabhaav (sense of service); santulan (balance); sanyam (patience); samanwaya (coordination); sakaratmak (positivity); samvedna (empathy) and samvaad (dialogue). When asked about the provocation behind the PM's seven-point talisman, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said politicians make well considered statements and not because of any provocation. The PM also said India's was a rare instance where a country has got a second chance at joining the industrial revolution after having let slip the opportunity in the past.

The political resolution lauded as well as detailed Modi government's poor and farmer friendly policies and stated its vision was that of “prosperous villages – developed India”. It also talked about its policies to empower women, Dalits and tribal people and mentioned twice how it has recognised the contribution of B R Ambedkar. On the reform front, it pointed at the setting up of the Bank Board Bureau, established to stop any political or private interference in Banks’ working and passage of the bankruptcy law.

The executive had passed the economic resolution on Sunday. On Monday, it also passed a resolution to express its “gratitude” to the PM and Shah for their leadership that won BJP Assam and improved showing in Kerala.

The resolution said “BJP is the party of Bharat’s present and it will be the party of its future.” It said the BJP will work to strengthen itself in the states of Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

It noted that BJP is today the only pan-Indian party and the Congress is shrinking by the day.