Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday declared that the Bharatiya Janata Party does not need crutches and operates on its own strength in Maharashtra. He challenged the party cadre to ensure that the opposition is defeated during the ensuing local body polls in a manner that they are "not seen even with the help of binoculars."
Speaking to party workers after laying the foundation stone of the Maharashtra BJP's new office building near Churchgate railway station in south Mumbai, Shah asserted: "We have proved that the politics of family-run parties will no longer work in this country. It is the politics of performance that will lead the nation forward."
Shah cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a model for the party, saying, "Modi ji is the best example of this. A child born in a humble tea seller's home rose, through his dedication, sacrifice, and hard work, to become the prime minister of India." Referring to the 'double engine' government of the BJP at the Centre and in the state, Shah said the party must also secure victories in local bodies.
"I believe that a party which cannot uphold democracy within its own functioning can never protect the democracy of the nation. This is a strong message to all dynastic parties," he said.
Shah said that for the BJP, a party office is like a temple. "It is from here that party programmes and policies are conceived and is a practical training ground for party workers," he said. He added that since the Jan Sangh days, ideology-driven politics and people's welfare have been the hallmark of the BJP. "Since 1980 when BJP was formed, the country has been led by BJP leaders for 18 years and it has been a matter of pride," he said.
Shah attributed the party's success to the hard work, sacrifice, and commitment of leaders and workers. "It is because of the seeds sowed by them that the BJP has become a vatvriksha (banyan tree)," he said.
He emphasised that the BJP operates on democratic principles, allowing hard-working and performance-oriented workers to rise in the party hierarchy. "I was a booth president and rose to become national president while, PM Modi, hailing from a poor family, led the country three times because of his commitment and sacrifice," he said.
Shah expressed happiness over the new state BJP office, which will be spread across a 55,000 sq ft area with a library, meeting room, conference room, a 400-seat auditorium, and offices for the state BJP president and the Chief Minister. “The CM will remember that he reached the post because of the party,” he said. The new building will also feature a multi-level basement for parking. “I have told Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis that there should be three to four rooms for accommodation of party workers like myself,” he added.
Referring to the undivided Shiv Sena headed by Uddhav Thackeray, Shah recalled that in 2014, the BJP asked for a “respectable” seat share, but the alliance broke. "We fought the elections on our own after a long time and we emerged as the single largest party with Devendra Fadnavis as the CM. Earlier we were in the fourth position in the state politics but today we are the number one party," he said.
Shah said that the BJP under PM Modi has implemented all its ideological commitments, citing the abrogation of Article 370, the construction of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, the CAA, triple talaq, and the implementation of the uniform civil code in some states. "All our ideological stands have been cleared and now we are focusing on Viksit Bharat in 2047," he said.
He stressed that the BJP holds the responsibility of conducting principled politics for the future of the country. Shah also mentioned that the Pahalgam terror attack was avenged with Operation Sindoor and Operation Mahadev, proving to the enemies that no one can interfere with the army and borders.
Also read: Delhi far away, will stay Maharashtra CM till 2029: Fadnavis
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