BJP National Convention Sets Ambitious Target of 370 Lok Sabha Seats
Modi and Nadda Rally Party Leaders for Record Victory
At the opening of the two-day BJP national convention on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged party leaders to win 370 Lok Sabha seats as a "true tribute" to influential ideologue Syama Prasad Mookerjee. Party president J.P. Nadda urged members to exert all of their effort toward accomplishing the goal.
The goal of the national convention, which attracted over 10,000 leaders and cadres and took place against the background of increased reports of Congress defections, is to prime the BJP apparatus for victory.
One of the first members of Bharatiya Jana Sangha, the party that preceded the BJP, Mookerjee was adamantly opposed to Article 370. By bringing him up, Modi aimed to associate the 370-seat goal with the repeal of the clause in the constitution that gave Jammu and Kashmir special status.
Modi informed the party's office bearers that if they made sure every booth collected an extra 370 votes, they could reach their goal. Party general secretary Vinod Tawde briefed media, stating that Modi instructed the party leaders to concentrate on enlightening the electorate about the positive work the Center has accomplished over the last ten years rather than giving any attention to the opposition's deceptive strategies.
Later, during his inauguration speech, Nadda emphasized his gratitude to Modi for the "unimaginable" growth of the BJP and urged party officials to throw themselves into the next elections to guarantee Modi a historic win for a third term.
"We must pass 370 seats in its entirety. Amid cries of "Modi, Modi" at the Bharat Mandapam auditorium, Nadda said, "We have to get down at every polling booth with all our strength and ensure that BJP and Modi not only score a hat-trick but do so with a record victory."
"We used to have trouble saving our money at one point. And we are the biggest party in the world today," Nadda said, attributing the change to Modi.
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