New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday credited Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) karyakartas and party workers for the party’s three-state victory in assembly elections held in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and urged BJP MPs to address him as ‘Modi’ without prefixes or suffixes like “aadarniya Modi ji” (Honourable Mr Modi) or “Modi ji“.
The Prime Minister added such forms of addresses created a distance between him and the people.
Addressing the first meeting of the BJP parliamentary party since results of elections in the three states were announced Sunday, Modi said the BJP was now the preferred party across country and it could be achieved because of the labour put in by party workers .“This victory [in the three states] is of result of team work, not only mine and every party worker worked tirelessly to achieve the goal,” he said.
The Prime Minister was welcomed with cheers and slogans of “Modi ji ka swagat hai [welcome Modi ji]” and “Modi ha toh mumkin hai [if Modi is there its possible]”.
Addressing those present at the meeting, Modi said, “I am small karyakarta of the party and people think of me a part of their family. Adding honourifics will create a distance between so, so address me only as Modi”.
Talking about Sunday’s three-state victory, the Prime Minister further said that the BJP as the incumbent party (at the Centre and one of the states where results were announced) was elected “based on its governance model and people reposed faith in it”.
Outlining the roadman for the 2024 Parliamentary elections, Modi asked present members of Parliament (MPs) to participate in the government’s outreach programme, the Viksit Bharat Sankal Yatra, which flagged off last month and will continue till January. He also encouraged MPs to enhance the participation of backward communities in the Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Yojana for artisans.
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‘Pro-incumbency for BJP’
Reiterating poll data shared by the Prime Minister to back claims of the BJP’s better track record of winning elections as an incumbent party, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said, “PM Modi shared an interesting fact today. While being in government when the Congress party faced elections 40 times in states, it got success only seven times. Whereas BJP got a chance to seek repeat mandate 39 times and got success 22 times.”
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a BJP MP told ThePrint, that the PM’s message was one of “collective leadership and sharing contribution with others. Normally party members give credit to Modi ji [for electoral victories], but the PM stressed that it was due to every one’s contribution. He said that BJP was now the preferred party and there is pro-incumbency for party on the basis of its performance”.
The Prime Minister also complemented the indigenously designed, developed and manufactured fighter aircraft Tejas, and asked party workers to focus on women, farmers, youth and the poor, for whom party had to put in efforts to turn their lives around.
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
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