Nadda’s tenure extended till June 2024, Raina gets 3rd term
J&K BJP to launch massive ‘Jan Samparak Abhiyan’ in Feb
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today reportedly called upon the party leaders to frequently visit the border villages, interact with the people there, address issues and ensure their development while the BJP J&K unit will be taking out a massive ‘Jan Samparak Abhiyan’ in Jammu and Kashmir in the month of February lasting over a fortnight covering areas where it has less presence compared to other parts of the Union Territory.
Insiders said in his address to the BJP National Executive meeting in New Delhi this afternoon, Modi referred to series of issues including development of the border areas.
He advised the senior party leaders to undertake tours of border villages and meet the people there.
“Address issues of the border people, ensure development of the border villages and stay in touch with the people there,” the BJP leaders quoted the Prime Minister as telling the National Executive whose two-day meeting concluded this evening.
Jammu and Kashmir has vast population living in the border areas including Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri and Poonch districts in Jammu region and Baramulla and Kupwara in Kashmir.
Modi asked BJP members to reach out to every section of society, including minorities such as Bohras, Pasmandas and Sikhs, without electoral considerations, party sources said.
Modi emphasised on reaching out to all sections of the society.
The Prime Minister also said that India’s best era is coming and “we should dedicate ourselves to its development”.
“The BJP is no longer merely a political movement but a social movement as well that is working to transform socio-economic conditions,” Modi told the gathering.
The Prime Minister said people in the 18-25 age group have not witnessed the political history of India and are not aware of “corruption and wrong-doings” that took place under the previous Governments.
“So, they need to be made aware. Let them know about the good governance of the BJP,” he said.
Meanwhile, BJP president J P Nadda’s term was extended till June next year at the party’s National Executive meeting today, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserting that it will win the 2024 Lok Sabha polls with a bigger mandate than 2019.
Term of Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina was extended for third time also till Lok Sabha polls in June 2024.
“Now, the BJP will contest Lok Sabha elections in the country in April-May 2024 under the party presidentship of Nadda and under Raina in Jammu and Kashmir.
Term of Raina was extended for strengthening and expanding the party in entire Jammu and Kashmir including the areas where the party had earlier either no or very little presence. He expanded the party among Paharis, Gujjars and Bakerwals, Scheduled Castes, Sikhs, Other Backward Classes, border people and all other castes and communities for which he got the appreciation several times from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda.
“The process for BJP president elections in J&K will start after June 2024 and is expected to be completed in early 2025 and till then Ravinder Raina will remain at the helm of affairs,” the BJP sources said.
Raina was elected the BJP president in 2018 after then BJP chief Sat Sharma was made the Minister. His two years term ended in January 2020 and he got second term for three years which ended this month.
Meanwhile, soon after the National Executive meeting was over in New Delhi, the BJP leaders who attended the meeting met separately for an hour and it was decided that the BJP will take out fortnight long ‘Jan Samparak Abhiyan’ in Jammu and Kashmir in February lasting over a fortnight.
The campaign will cover entire Jammu and Kashmir especially the areas where the BJP has less presence than other areas, the insiders said. The UT Working Committee of the party will meet on January 23 to give final touch to the ‘Jan Sampark Abhiyan’.
The meeting among others was attended by Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, national general secretary Tarun Chug, Ravinder Raina, Ashish Sood, Kavinder Gupta, Dr Nirmal Singh, Darakshan Andrabi and Priya Sethi.
Senior Government functionaries and national BJP leaders will visit Jammu and Kashmir in February, March and April.
Meanwhile, the extension of Nadda’s term till June 2024 underlines party’s preference for continuity as it gears up for the all-important Lok Sabha polls next year, expected in April-May.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah told reporters in New Delhi that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, a former party president like him, moved the proposal of extending Nadda’s tenure till June next year and the executive unanimously endorsed it.
The BJP’s Parliamentary Board has already approved the extension of Nadda’s term as the party president.
“I, on behalf of the party, express heartfelt gratitude to Nadda-Ji for his committed leadership and contributions, and extend the best wishes for his future term,” Shah said.
With Nadda set to lead the party during the Lok Sabha elections, he will be following the footsteps of his predecessor Shah, whose tenure was also extended so as to allow him to spearhead the organisation during the 2019 polls.
Shah expressed confidence that the BJP, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Nadda, will achieve a bigger win than the last general elections.
The Minister lauded Nadda’s leadership, saying he connected the party organisation with the service of people during the COVID-19 outbreak.
“During the pandemic, our party has done a lot of significant works under Nadda-Ji’s leadership; be it about providing food and rations to the poor or taking people to hospitals for check-ups and treatment,” he added.
Shah further said that throughout Nadda’s leadership term, the BJP has worked on the principle of ‘Seva Hi Sangathan’ right from the booth till the national levels.
Noting that the party won many State Assembly polls under Nadda, Shah said the BJP won 73 Assembly bypolls out of 120 held during his tenure.
It was under Nadda’s leadership that the BJP performed well in Bihar, and again formed the Government in Maharashtra and Haryana, he added.
The BJP won Assembly polls in Assam, Manipur, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh during Nadda’s tenure as the party president, Shah said, adding that it also formed the Government on its own for the first time in Goa.
Talking about the recent victory in the Gujarat Assembly polls, Shah said, “Under Nadda’s leadership, the BJP organisation converted Modi’s magical leadership into votes and the party registered a record-breaking victory by winning 156 Assembly seats.”
He further said that the booth strengthening programme and the ‘Vijay Sanklap Rally’ are among the biggest takeaways of Nadda’s leadership.
Nadda had become the BJP president on January 20, 2020 for a term of three years.
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