Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the BJP National Council meeting at Bharat Mandapam, in New Delhi, Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024.
PTI Photo
New Delhi: Speaking at the inauguration of the two-day National Convention of the BJP, PM Modi said that party workers should pay their tributes to founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee by winning 370 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Modi also told workers to ensure that they bring in 370 more votes in each booth over the 2019 tally, and that they consolidate their efforts in the next 100 days.
Briefing reporters about the details of the closed-door address to workers, party general secretary Vinod Tawde said that Modi asked party workers to not consider the party’s aim of wining 370 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections a mere number, but their tribute to the “sacrifice” made by party founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee, who fought against Article 370. Tawde added that 370 seats is ideologically symbolic to the party.
Tawde added that Modi had announced the names of candidates. “The BJP will fight the elections on the symbol of the lotus (the party’s election symbol),” Tawde said.
In his address, Modi told workers to intensify their efforts for the next 100 days starting February 25. “He asked workers to focus on the booths and manage 370 more votes in each booth over the 2019 votes. He asked workers to reach out to first time voters and tell them how the country was before 2014 and how it has changed. He also asked workers to not forget women voters,” Tawde said.
Briefing reporters on Modi's speech, BJP General Secretary Vinod Tawde said the prime minister told the meeting that the opposition will raise "unnecessary and emotional issues" during the polls but party members should stick to the issues of development, pro-poor policies and the country's rising global standing.
Tawde said that party workers reached out to 7.5 lakh villages under the 'Gaon Chalo Abhiyan', with workers reaching out to 8.5 lakh booths during this campaign.
“In the 161 weak seats that we had earmarked, over the course of a year and a half, 430 Lok Sabha pravas programmes took place — it means on each seat three times a Lok Sabha MP had visited,” Tawde said.
“In the coming days, campaigns to reach out to self-help groups and NGOs will be carried out on a large scale by party workers,” he added.