Gear up for 2024 polls, ensure Modi’s return to power again: Amit Shah

Home Minister Amit Shah says the alliance in Bihar working well and Nitish would be the leader of NDA in State

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday exhorted party workers and leaders in Patna to prepare for the 2024 parliamentary elections and to ensure Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s return to power for the third consecutive term. Mr. Shah also put all speculations to rest on growing rift between the ruling allies, the BJP and the Janata Dal (United), saying the NDA alliance in Bihar was working well and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar would be the leader of the NDA in the State.

“Party workers were told by our leader Amit Shah to prepare for the coming 2024 parliamentary elections and ensure Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s return to power for the third consecutive term and they were also given target of winning more seats than the last Lok Sabha poll”, BJP national general secretary Arun Singh told media persons in Patna after Mr. Shah addressed the valedictory session of the joint national executive meeting of seven frontal organisations.

He (Mr. Shah) also asked party workers and leaders to make people aware at the booth level about Mr. Modi’s political support to the weaker sections such as Dalits, tribals and Other Backward Classes (OBCs), said Mr. Singh. “Apprise the common people of facts like SCs, STs and OBCs have been enjoying their highest ever representation in the Union Cabinet today. Representation of those from rural background has also shot up”, said Mr. Shah while addressing party workers and leaders at Patna’s Gyan Bhawan, Mr. Singh said. “Thanks to Prime Minister Modi that a tribal woman has risen to the top constitutional post of President in the country”, Mr. Shah said.

Earlier, the BJP’s national president J.P. Nadda had inaugurated the two-day joint national executive committee meeting of the party’s seven frontal organisations in Patna and Mr. Shah on Sunday addressed the valedictory session. Nearly 750 delegates and 350 office-bearers of the party from other States had come to attend the meeting in Patna where the two top party leaders — Mr. Nadda and Mr. Shah — were given rousing welcome by party workers and leaders.

Mr. Shah, while addressing party workers and leaders, also stressed that the NDA alliance in Bihar was running smoothly and there was no rift in it. “The BJP believes in coalition dharma and looking forward to contest the upcoming parliamentary and Assembly polls in 2024 and 2025 in alliance with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U)” Mr. Singh told media persons. Of late, leaders of both the ruling allies had expressed different opinion on several issues like demand for special status to Bihar, population control policy etc. Political analysts told The Hindu that “with such meetings on a larger scale, the BJP has already started preparing for the coming 2024 parliamentary elections”.