BJP National Executive Meet
By G Krishna Mohan Rao*
Row over Telangana CM’s absence on PM Modi’s arrival in Hyderabad
Hyderabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party president JP Nadda today accused the Opposition parties of trying to derail various programmes of the BJP-led government at the Centre and in States meant for a “resilient and resurgent” India. In his inaugural address at the two-day national executive meeting at Hyderabad, Nadda said the Opposition parties in their zeal to oppose Prime Minister Narendra Modi were trying to ensure that the government’s good measures and schemes aimed at empowering India are met with “destruction”.
While the BJP has been working to empower the poor, opposition parties are working to empower their own families and are mired in corruption, he charged. Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “good governance” of eight years and consistent service of 20 years in public life, Nadda hailed Modi’s leadership and noted popular support for him in successive polls. In this context, the BJP president referred to the party’s recent electoral victories in states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur as well as victories in by-elections in seats such as Azamgarh and Rampur.
The BJP national executive, which kicked off at the city’s Novotel Hotel today, saw the who is who of the saffron party, including Prime Minister Modi, 18 BJP Chief Ministers, Union Cabinet Ministers and other important dignitaries of the party. The two-day meet was initiated with the Office Bearers’ meet. Former Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje Scindia told the media that two separate resolutions would be passed— one political, the other concerning the economy and people’s welfare. Besides, there will be a statement, which will be focused on the situation within Telangana state.
It is said that the executive meet focused on making inroads into South India including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala along the lines of Karnataka, where they are in power. It was pointed out that the party would be taking steps to set itself strongly at the ground level, including “ensuring the participation of 200 active party workers in each booth”, establishing What’s App groups, furthering the reach of “ Mann ki Baat” and empowering the “Panna Pramukhs”(ground level workers) in order to set the base on which BJP’s success would be established.
Meanwhile, the BJP took strong exception over the Telangana Chief Minister Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), not receiving Prime Minister Modi at the airport, on his arrival in the city. Union Minister Smriti Irani said that KCR has not only “insulted “ an individual but also the institution. Stating that Modi has given a clarion call for cooperative federalism and has met leaders of various parties with respect, Irani accused KCR of disrupting the Constitutional protocol. Further attacking KCR’s Telugu Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government, Irani said that it was a party “steeped into corruption” and engaged in “dynastic politics”. She said India will never accept a political organisation that does not welcome the Prime Minister of the country.
Interestingly, to coincide with the BJP national executive, chief minister KCR held a reception-cum-meeting in honour of the Presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha, who arrived in Hyderabad today to seek support for his candidature. Taking full advantage of Sinha’s visit, KCR blasted the BJP government at the Centre, particularly Modi’s “autocratic style of functioning”. Lashing at Modi, the Chief Minister dared the saffron party to try and topple his government in Telangana adding that his party will oust the BJP government in Delhi. KCR accused the Prime Minister of “ killing democracy and the federal system “
Speaking at the event, Presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha said that the Presidential election is not a fight between two individuals but a battle of ideologies. Sinha criticised Prime Minister Modi alleging that he never believed in “consensus” but only in “confrontation”. Sinha also said that he tried to reach out to Modi over the phone after filing his nomination as a Presidential candidate but was informed that the Prime Minister was not available and till now there was no response to the call.
With the BJP national executive meeting underway, the ruling TRS and BJP have been embroiled in a hoarding war with the municipal authorities imposing heavy fines on both parties for erecting “illegal” hoardings in the city. TRS chief whip, Balka Suman, complained to the Cyberabad Commissioner of Police that the BJP workers were tearing down the hoardings set up in support of Yashwant Sinha, the Opposition Presidential candidate, and demanded action against the miscreants.
Top Photo: BJP President JP Nadda at the party’s national executive meet in Hyderabad today
*Senior Journalist
