BJP eyes 'return gift' to PM Narendra Modi for Lok Sabha clean sweep

NEW DELHI: Hoping for a 'Modi wave' to help them ride to power in Delhi, BJP on Monday exhorted members and activists to work for a victory in the forthcoming assembly election as a "return gift" to prime minister Narendra Modi who, it said, was the man behind the party's clean sweep in all of the capital's seven Lok Sabha seats in the general elections.

It was decided at Monday's meeting, chaired by BJP national general secretary (organization) Ramlal, that about 300 BJP members of parliament will camp in the national capital for the next 20-25 days and organise nukkad sabhas (street corner meetings) in the run-up to the assembly polls.

The meeting, which was attended by Delhi in-charge and MP Prabhat Jha, Delhi president Satish Upadhyay, all seven Delhi MPs and former BJP Delhi presidents Vijay Goel and Vijender Gupta, discussed election preparations. The audience included all MLAs, councillors, candidates who contested the last assembly and municipal elections and office bearers.

Upadhyay said that this election holds special significance for BJP. "Having been out of power for 16 years, the party is having a sense of political dejection. This feeling has been overcome by the enthusiasm created by the victory in all seven Lok Sabha seats earlier this year. We owe the victory to the image and campaign by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This election gives us an opportunity to give the PM a return gift in the form of Delhi vijay," he said.

MP Prabhat Jha said the nation is witnessing five state elections post-LS polls of which Maharashtra and Haryana have already elected BJP. "The party is all set to lead Jammu & Kashmir and Jharkhand, so it's now up to the BJP workers of Delhi to give the PM a 5-nil win in this series of elections," he opined.

Ramlal asked all leaders to establish direct contact with the cadre and public. The nukkad meets will be BJP's platform to list the good works of the Narendra Modi government. Such sabhas will continue till announcement of dates when model code of conduct will come in force, the party said. Around 150 functionaries have been asked to attend a workshop by Amit Shah.