At a rare open session of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) national executive on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to deliver a speech that might shape the political discourse in the run-up to the winter session of Parliament, and assembly polls in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. The speech, which will be open to the media and telecast live by state broadcaster Doordarshan, comes at a time when the Modi government is facing criticism for the economic slowdown.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said a stimulus package is in the works. The BJP’s ...