Exhorting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cadres to redouble their outreach in the 100 days leading up to the Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that retaining power was not an end goal for personal glory but for securing the country’s future.
A third consecutive win for the party, the PM said, is imperative for the country’s development by 2047, for keeping terrorism, corruption and inflation at bay, and for uninterrupted infrastructure development and economic growth.
“I am not someone who lives for his own happiness. I am advocating for a third term for the BJP not for political gains, but for the benefit of India,” he said in his address on the concluding day of the party’s national council meeting at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi.
The PM, who frequently attacks the Opposition for fostering dynastic politics and kinship over merit, sought to burnish his credentials as a leader committed to the country and its people.
“My efforts are dedicated to the people of India. The dreams of Indians are my commitments,” Modi said in his nearly hour-long speech.
“I am a person who worries about the nation. If I had worried about my own home, it would not have been possible to make homes for crores of Indians... the dreams of crores of people are Modi’s resolve and it is for the realisation of those dream that we work hard with seva bhav (selfless service),” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“I am a person who worries about the nation. If I had worried about my own home, it would not have been possible to make homes for crores of Indians... the dreams of crores of people are Modi’s resolve and it is for the realisation of those dream that we work hard with seva bhav (selfless service),” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Instructing the party workers to go to the people with a report card of the BJP’s good governance, clean administration and blemish-free image of the PM ahead of the polls due this summer, he said neither his party nor he engaged in “rajneeti” (politics) but had been toiling for the sake of “rashtraneeti” (national policy).
“A senior leader once told me you have accomplished enough, first as CM and then as PM and that I should now rest. But I am working for rashtraneeti, not rajneeti... We follow the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and are inspired by him,” he said amid sloganeering by the 11,000-strong audience.
What the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has achieved in the last 10 years is just the first step, he said, adding that several decisions are pending, for which the party cadres must ensure an emphatic win.
“We will have to take a long jump and for the accomplishment of all targets, the first condition is the zordar (emphatic) return of the BJP to power,” he said.
While he called on party workers to reach out to first-time voters, women and each of the beneficiaries of government schemes to elicit their support and ensure the NDA meets its 400-seat target, he appeared confident of returning for a third consecutive term, claiming that several foreign governments have extended invitations to him through July and September as even they know that “aayega toh Modi hi” (Modi will come to power).
The PM has set a target of winning 370 seats for the BJP and 400 for the NDA. On Saturday, he told party colleagues that winning 370 seats will be their homage to party ideologue and Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee who campaigned for the abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu & Kashmir.
In his valedictory address on Sunday, the PM did not shy away from taking credit for a multitude of policy interventions that have brought economy on track, empowered the poor, marginalised and the women.
“India’s pace and the determination to accomplish big targets is being acknowledged by the world. The country is not dreaming small dreams or making small resolutions. It is our sapna and sankalp (dream and resolve) to make India viksit (developed),” he said.
The PM said all nations are now eager to establish closer ties with India.
In an outreach towards women, who have emerged as a crucial votebank for the BJP, the PM said he was the first Prime Minister to speak about the dignity of women and their safety from the ramparts of the Red Fort.
He said the BJP is bringing together the power of the youth, women and farmers to build a viksit Bharat. “In the coming days our mothers, sisters, and daughters will have multiple options,” he said.
He said it was the BJP that gave the marginalised communities representation in the council of ministers for better political representation. “For the first time, a woman has become a member of the Rajya Sabha from Nagaland. We are proud that for the first time we have given a place to a person from Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh in the council of ministers,” he said.
Training his guns at the Congress, the PM said it is the responsibility of every party worker to “save the country” from the grand old party.
“Their track record is before us... it is the mother of instability, corruption, appeasement, and dynastic politics,” he said.
Referring to the Congress as “confused”, he said there is a fight going on in the party not about ideals or policies, but over attacking Modi.
“There is a section that says Modi should be hated and personal allegations made to destroy his image. The other section that is rooted in the party’s ideology, says this hurts the Congress more. They are not fighting with us over ideological issues, therefore, abuses and false accusations against Modi have become their agenda,” he said.
The PM said the completion of the Ram Temple is the fulfilment of a 500-year-old dream.
During his address, the PM also got emotional upon receiving the news of the demise of Jain monk Acharya Vidhyasagar Maharaj. Later, condoling the death, the PM said he will be remembered by the coming generations for his invaluable contributions to society.
“I had the honour of receiving his blessings for years. I can never forget my visit to the Chandragiri Jain Mandir in Dongargarh, Chhattisgarh late last year. That time, I had spent time with Acharya Shri 108 Vidhyasagar Ji Maharaj Ji and also received his blessings,” the Prime Minister said in a post on X.