In a bid to ensure that the benefits of government policies reach their target audience, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to reach out to all sections of society in his address on the concluding day of the party’s National Executive Meeting recently.
While BJP is often projected as a party for upper caste Hindus, the party leadership appeared to be keen to shed the label as PM Modi also asked the workers to reach out to Pasmanda and Bohra Muslims without expecting votes in return.
“The message was clear. PM Modi had asked us (party leaders and workers) to reach out to every section of the society – be it Pasmanda and Bohra Muslims, other Muslim sects, Muslim literates and academics – irrespective of whether they vote for BJP or not,” a party source attending the meeting told The New Indian.
Giving details of PM Modi’s address at the concluding session, the source said, “He also said there are just 400 days left, time to hit top gear. He asked to strengthen every BJP booth. Inform people about government policies. Focus on making change, not votes. He asked me to go to the people and tell them they are coming across these policies and everything they are getting from the government is because they chose Modi.”
Senior BJP leader and MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy said, “He spoke roughly for about an hour 22 minutes and it was an unscripted dialogue where he spoke about inclusivity, he spoke about the nation, he talked about the world, it was phenomenal and he gave 100 big ideas that were unthinkable.”
“He asked to reach every section of society that has not been looked at and he believes and there was conviction in his voice that we are entering an era of Amrut Kaal and that these are golden days that are going to be back in India,” the former Union minister said.
Talking about PM Modi’s inspirational speech, BJP national general secretary Sunil Deodhar said, “The speech was organisation-centric, people-centric and how to deliver people. He said only 400 days are remaining so don’t waste any single day – don’t take the opposition lightly, be on the ground and do hard work.”
“Go to the people, take all central government policies to them, and tell them it’s due to you that PM Modi’s government came to power, and so you are getting these benefits, and now vote for them again,” he said.