BJP chief Amit Shah asked Congress look for its missing leader Rahul Gandhi rather than raising non-issues. On a day the President signed on to re-promulgation of the land ordinance, Shah reiterated the party's commitment to the land bill, accusing rivals of spreading “falsehoods” and emphasizing that the legislation was pro-farmer. In his inaugural address at BJP's two-day national executive in Bengaluru, he asked party workers to go to the people to counter the negative campaign being mounted by the opposition parties.
With the next big electoral fight looming in Bihar at the end of this year, Shah upped the ante by saying the state was witnessing “jungle raj” all over again after JD(U) parted ways with BJP over Narendra Modi's projection as the party's prime ministerial candidate. The aggressive tone contrasted with the tentativeness that had gripped the party in the wake of the Delhi debacle where it returned a tally of just three in the 70-member House. Listing out the achievements of the Modi government, Shah said there was a sea change in the mood of the country in the past 10 months. He claimed that scams under the UPA government totalled Rs 5,000 billion, but after BJP assumed charge, “hope had returned to the country.” Amit Shah also announced that the BJP had become the largest party in the world with 925 million members and said it was well on its way to cross the 10-million mark.
This is the party's first national executive after Modi became PM and Shah took over as BJP president. It comes at a time when the government is locked in a standoff with opposition parties over the land bill, which has been cleared by Lok Sabha but is stuck in the Upper House where BJP doesn't have the numbers.
Shah, however, gave a clear indication that the party had no intention of backing off on a legislation that it sees as a major driver of growth.“The opposition has deliberately spread many misgivings about the bill which is in the interest of farmers. We will take the message to farmers. BJP is a friend of farmers. It is the farmers who have given us mandate,” he said.
“The opposition is desperate, hopeless and direction less. They should stop finding those faults and shortcomings which do not exist. If they have to find something, then they should try to find their leader. Instead of raising non- issues and fictional issues, they should find out where their leader is,” Shah said in a barely disguised jibe at Rahul, who is on leave for introspection. Shah was equally scathing on former ally JD(U) which is in power in Bihar, saying “jungle raj” had returned to the state after the BJP exited the coalition. “After the separation, what has happened is that jungle raj-2 has returned to Bihar,” he said.
“People of Bihar are very angry and upset. They want a new government led by BJP,” Shah said. Accusing the JD (U) of betrayal, he added, “Last time, the people of Bihar had given the mandate to BJP and JD (U) because we were in alliance, but JD (U) ditched people's mandate and went out of the alliance. So, it is they who have betrayed.”
