At national executive, PM says corruption contributes to poverty, demonetization checks black money
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid out the vision for the BJP—changing the lives of the poor and downtrodden.
Devoting most of his 50-minute speech at the concluding session of the party's national executive here on Saturday evening to the agenda of empowering the poor, Modi asked the party to use its organisational strength to win over the less fortunate sections of society.
Faced with Opposition criticism over the inconvenience caused by demonetization, the Prime Minister exuded confidence that the poor had accepted the notes ban. "They have realised it will work towards ending corruption... Corruption has contributed to poverty," Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad quoted the Prime Minister as saying at a press conference later.
The BJP, dubbed as pro-Brahmin, baniya and business class party, has turned its focus to the poor, targeting a wider social support base, cutting across caste lines. Sources said that during the meet, when a member expressed concern about the impact of certain decisions of the government on the party's core constituency of traders, BJP chief Amit Shah responded by saying that the party was concerned about the collective constituency.
Though Modi received support across caste lines in the Lok Sabha elections, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, the pro-poor narrative had gained momentum in the aftermath of demonetization announced on November 8. Shah's inaugural address at the meet emphasised on how the notes ban would benefit the poor.
The Prime Minister's address to around 350 party members, including ministers, chief ministers, office-bearers and state party presidents, underlined his government's commitment to "transform the lives of the poor" unlike those whose priority was "to improve their lifestyles."
He equated serving the poor with serving god, and even invoked a Sanskrit verse to say that he neither desired the throne, nor happiness; neither heaven nor rebirth, but had only one wish and that was to end the sufferings of the people.
Recalling his own past, the Prime Minister said: "Main garibi mein janma hoon aur garibi ko jiya hoon (I was born poor and have lived in poverty)". Furthermore, he asked the party not to fear criticism but to welcome it.
Modi delinked the outreach to the poor with winning elections, saying "we don't see them as vote banks," Prasad said. He exuded confidence about the party winning elections in five states saying the "situation is in our favour."
Seeking political consensus on electoral reforms, Modi said that the BJP will take the lead in making political funding transparent and said that the people had the right to know where the funds came from. Sources added that in a clear message to his party members not to seek tickets to contest elections for relatives, the PM said that the BJP, unlike other parties, identified potential candidates based on merit.
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