Alerted by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliates about the changing discourse on issues such as economic slowdown, rising oil prices and inflation, and the perils of demonetisation and GST, among the public, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Amit Shah are expected to engage in a pep talk with the party lawmakers on Monday.
BJP sources said the party was getting wary of the growing criticism of the government, which they said was being “hyped up by the Opposition parties unnecessarily”. That is why it has been decided to brief the BJP legislators and ministers on how to counter the charges effectively.
The extended National Executive Convention to discuss these matters will be held at Delhi’s Talkatora Indoor Stadium.
Though the convention is being organised to mark the culmination of year-long centenary celebrations of party ideologue Deendayal Upadhyaya, the real reason behind inviting 2,500 delegates, apparently, is to prepare them to defeat the attack on the government and reaffirm people’s dwindling faith, especially of traders and manufacturers, sources said.
The decision was taken after a growing number of party legislators and functionaries started approaching general secretaries and party in-charge of states, seeking advice on how to face the growing criticism from affected sections.
While several leaders are expected to address the convention, the focus would be on Modi and Shah, who will be orienting the delegates on how to change the discourse and establish the connect with the people. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is also expected to brief the delegates about the measures that the government is taking to rebuild the economy, and how demonetisation and GST are playing an effective role in that.
A senior party source said: “A false propaganda is being spread about the economy, which is actually in the process of getting clean and revitalised. We have told our legislators and leaders at all levels to counter the criticism at every forum and explain that the current downturn is for short term and the economy will rebound soon.”
The convention will be attended by nearly 1,400 MLAs, 83 MLCs, 281 Lok Sabha MPs, 56 Rajya Sabha members, all the Chief Ministers and ministers, party functionaries, and members of BJP’s core groups in states. The roadmap for the coming elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh by this year end, and in Karnataka, Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Mizoram next year, will also be discussed at the convention.
