The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today concluded its two day national executive meeting by “strongly endorsing” all the decisions of the Narendra Modi government, particularly conveying its support to the contentious land bill as well as its decision to form a coalition government with Peoples Democratic Party in Jammu and Kashmir. In his valedictory speech, Prime Minister Modi batted for the need to focus as many of his government’s policies towards the welfare of the poor, and said that additional resources raised by the government will go towards funding poverty alleviation programmes.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, summarizing the valedictory speech by the PM, said Modi spoke of how ‘antyodaya’ or bringing a smile to the faces of the poorest of the country, will be the leitmotif of his government. “The whole emphasis of his speech was on the kind of growth model he would like to see,” Jaitley said.

According to the Finance Minister, Modi envisaged a growth “model in which the economy should grow, the benefits of an enriched economy must percolate down to the poor, both by way of jobs and by way of poverty alleviation programmes that additional resources gathered by the state will provide for.” Modi stressed that even the ‘Swachh Bharat’ or clean India campaign should be looked at how the poor will have to spend less on health.

The national executive decided to set up a party office in each district of the country, and also launch a sustained campaign through the year to take the message of Modi government’s programme and policies to the people, particularly how the land bill was pro-farmer and to counter the misinformation campaign by the Congress party on such issues. “Kisan ka vikas – bhumiadhigrahan adhiniyam ke saath (Land acquisition to bring development for farmers)” is to be one of the slogans of the campaign.

Jaitley said land acquisition was the only way to create rural infrastructure – roads, irrigation, power supply, etc. He said the land bill will help weaker sections as industrial corridors will create jobs for dalits and landless. The Finance Minister termed the UPA’s 2013 Act as “anti-farmer” as it impeded rural development. He said the Modi government was willing to accommodate a couple of amendments to the land bill from the Opposition. The Finance Minister said state governments opposing the land bill were free to not implement it but they shouldn't roadblock other states from adopting the Modi government's amendments to the 2013 Land Act.

To buttress the pro-farmer image of the government, Jaitley said he was currently reviewing the compensation given to farmers affected by crop damage due to uns-easonal rains or drought. Jaitley said he personally favoured a “significant increase” in the compensation.

The Finance Minister also said the government favoured a “multi-pronged” approach to “discourage” tobacco consu mp tion. According to sources, the PM is said to be upset with BJP MPs SC Gupta and Dinesh Gandhi for their comments denying any link between tobacco use and cancer.

A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) booklet to counter ‘misinformation’, circulated among the delegates and to the media, termed the PM a “messiah”. “People see their Messiah in our Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu states in the preface of the booklet. He said the “youth look up to him (Modi) with a confident ray of hope for fulfillment of their aspirations and ambitions.”



Senior party leader L K Advani didn’t address the national executive, a departure from a tradition that star-ted when the BJP was formed in 1980. Party sources said the leadership “honoured” Advani’s wish to not address the meeting. As to why Advani didn’t speak, Jaitley said the party didn’t share its internal decision making with the media.

Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman termed media reports on cabinet reshuffle as “speculative”, while Jaitley said the media has done cabinet reshuffle several times.

At the meeting, Home Minister Rajnath Singh moved the political resolution that enumerated how the party was gradually moving towards achieving its objective of a “Congress-mukt or free” India, and not just electorally but also in purging the vestiges of the “unfortunate phase” of the Congress-led UPA rule.

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