Modi changed country's political culture: BJP chief Nadda

Chandigarh: BJP president J P Nadda on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has changed the country's political culture that used to revolve around caste, creed, and vote bank politics.

Nadda held a roadshow in Haryana's Panchkula and expressed confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would sweep all the 10 Lok Sabha Seats in the state in the upcoming general elections.

"He (PM) has changed the culture of politics in the country which was earlier based on caste and creed... divisive politics and vote bank politics were practised for a long time until PM Modi gave a new message -- 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas' -- and said that the country can move ahead with the mantra," Nadda said.

The BJP chief said Modi has ended vote bank politics and connected everyone with the politics of development.

Scores of people lined the route of the roadshow, which was dotted with party flags, and showered flowers on the vehicle of the BJP chief who urged the crowd to ensure that the party repeats its 2019 parliamentary polls performance and wins all 10 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the upcoming general elections.

With Nadda's visit to Haryana coming after BJP's victory in the Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Assembly polls, the BJP chief told the gathering, this enthusiasm shows you want to take the country and the state forward and make Narendra Modi the PM for the third time.

When he asked how many of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana will the BJP win, the crowd replied, "Dus ki dus (all 10)".

Nadda then said, "Dus bata bus, dus bata dus (all 10 seats)... I am making an advance booking. I have come here with Modi ji's message."

The BJP is in alliance with the Jannayak Janta Party in Haryana, but both have remained non-committal about whether they would contest the LS polls jointly.

Nadda also addressed a gathering of party workers and leaders from BJP's Chandigarh unit while in the evening, he met newly appointed district presidents of the party's Haryana unit in Panchkula.

Praising Modi's leadership, Nadda, while speaking during the roadshow, said, "He is the country's and the world's most popular leader and we are proud that he is a leader of the BJP."

"We have to make the country strong and stable and you will see it becoming a developed nation before your own eyes," he added.

Even the Chinese media is praising India's progress. It has been said that earlier, India used to balance but now, it works according to its interest, he said.

He cited an article in Global Times, a prominent state-run Chinese media outlet, that said India has become more strategically confident and proactive in creating and developing a "Bharat narrative".

Nadda also mentioned several welfare schemes and initiatives of the Modi government, particularly for the underprivileged sections, saying they have benefitted from the policies and programmes of the Centre.

The PM has ensured the empowerment of the deprived, he said. Today, India is the world's fifth largest economy and is poised to be among the world's top three economies well before the end of this decade, he said.

Addressing the Chandigarh unit here, Nadda while encouraging the workers and terming them as the party's backbone, urged them to gear up for the impending electoral battle.

Highlighting Prime Minister Modi's special connection with Chandigarh, Nadda commended the workers and expressed confidence in their ability to further the development initiatives initiated by the prime minister.

He underscored the global recognition of India's social justice initiatives under Modi's leadership.

He also highlighted the "fast progress" that the country is making on the economic front and other fronts, including steel production, automobile industry, pharmaceutical sector, petrochemicals, road network, railways, and waterways.

At the Panchkula roadshow, Nadda praised the welfare schemes of the Khattar government and said its flagship 'Parivar Pehchan Patra' (family ID) scheme has brought a big change in society.

Today, people don't have to run to government offices, they only have to mention their details on a portal and the government reaches their doorsteps, said Nadda.

Nadda was accompanied by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and state BJP chief Nayab Singh Saini on the vehicle decorated with marigold garlands during the roadshow.

BJP Haryana affairs in-charge Biplab Kumar Deb, senior party leader Om Prakash Dhankar and State Assembly Speaker and Panchkula MLA Gian Chand Gupta also accompanied the BJP chief.