Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Dec 22: BJP national spokesperson and MP Rajeev Partap Rudy today said that it is high time for the people of this country to decide whether regional parties will set the agenda for the country or the national parties.
Mr Rudy, who was the election observer for BJP’s organizational poll in the State, was addressing a function to felicitate newly elected state unit chief, Jugal Kishroe Sharma here today.
He said the two regional parties having 20 to 21 seats in Lok Sabha are dictating the country’s agenda today, which is inimical to the national interests.
The BJP leader said for strengthening the democracy in the country the people have to choose among two national parties.
Maintaining that BJP has made a great achievement on the political front in this country as it managed to give an alternative to the nation after 40 years of independence, which had only one party rule till then. He said in recently held elections in HP and Gujarat the people chose between the two parties also.
He said even after the 65 years of independence the nation still faces problems and there are many unresolved issues, which could have been solved long back. “This is a big challenge before the politicians at present and they have to ponder as how they will come up to the expectations of the people and a serious debate is needed on the prevailing democratic set up in the country”, he added.
The nation at present is facing the grave problems like poverty, corruption, unemployment and misrule and “we have to ponder seriously over the question whether we are running the country for 1.20 billion people or for 15 to 20 crore people” he said.
He said an independent MLA who was involved in Rs 500 crore scam became Chief Minister of one of the States in the country for three years and after he was jailed he contested the next elections from jail and later supported the Union Government.
“Another Chief Minister who was also involved in the scam installed his wife on the Chief Minister’s post and still we are claiming that democratic set up has succeeded in the country”, he added.
Mr Rudy said top BJP leaders will attend the oath-taking ceremony of Narendra Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister on December 26.
“We have registered a historic victory in Gujarat under Modi-we congratulate him for his efforts,” he said.
“It is BJP’s third consecutive term in Gujarat and the Party will be forming Government in the state for the fifth time,” Rudy said.
Asked whether Modi is a Prime Ministerial candidate for BJP, he said “Modi has been a senior national leader-he has a national image-before taking over as Gujarat CM, he was the party’s national general secretary.”
“When our party makes any such decision, media would be conveyed about it”, Rudy said.
On the Party’s defeat in Himachal Pradesh, he said an introspection is needed on the issue but hastened to say that there has been a trend in that State that no political Party has been repeated for another terms.
On the recent remarks by Sanjay Nirupam against the BJP Women Wing national president and MP Simriti Irani, he said the Party condemns the same and it has taken serious exception to it. “We will not participate in any TV programme with him till he apologizes for the same”.
On recent Delhi rape case, he held Prime Minister, Delhi Chief Minister and Police Commissioner of Delhi responsible for the same. He also condemned police lathi charge on students in Delhi protesting against the gang rape saying that BJP stands for amendment in IPC to incorporate capital punishment for such crimes.
Earlier at a press conference he announced the election of BJP MLA from Nagrota Assembly Segment , Jugal Kishore Sharma as new president of the state unit for a three year term.
He said Sharma emerged a consensus candidate for the top post of the Party in the State as no other leader filed the nomination papers for it till the dead line ended from 10 am to 11 am this morning.
Besides Sharma, Soom Khajuria, Halsima Begum, Ali Mohammad, Sofi Yousef and Vibodh Gupta among others have been elected to the BJP National Council from Jammu and Kashmir, he added.
They will become members of electoral colleges to elect the national president of the Party whose election will follow now.
“I on the behalf of National BJP President Nitin Gadkari congratulate Jugal Kishore for his election to the post of the new president of the State BJP,” Rudy, said, adding that entire election process was completed smoothly.
Sharma will take over the command of the state unit from its outgoing president Shamsher Singh Manhas.
“I am very happy to take over as the state BJP chief–I will carry forward the task assigned to me by national leadership and will strengthen the party in the state,” Sharma said.
Later Mr Sharma was felicitated by Party at a function held in the lawns of Pt. Prem Nath Dogra Bhawan here.
The function among others was attended by Mr Rudy, BJP incharge J&K Prof Jagdish Mukhi, co-incharge Dr Anil Jain, outgoing party chief Shamsher Singh Manhas, National Executive member Dr Nirmal Singh, MLAs Ashok Khajuria, Sham Choudhary and Ch. Sukh Nandan, National Executive member, Dr Jitendra Singh, Party general secretary Sat Sharma, (CA) and district president Rajesh Gupta besides international general secretary VHP, Dinesh Chander and large number of senior party leaders and activists.
According to Party sources, the new incumbent to the post of president will not contest elections to State Assembly or the Lok Sabha but will dedicate himself for strengthening the party in the State.
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