No early Lok Sabha polls, says PM Modi at meet

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his interaction with the party’s parliamentarian on Friday, gave clear indications that the 2019 general elections would not be advanced, not atleast till January. Addressing the parliamentary party meeting of the BJP on March 23, the Prime Minister told the party leaders “not to talk about elections before January next year”.

There had been speculations among the BJP that the government could advance the general elections and hold them by the end of the year.

A senior BJP leader, present in the Parliamentary Party meeting held for the first time at the newly-built headquarters in New Delhi, told this newspaper that the Prime Minister told all legislators present there to “not talk too much” about 2019 general election before the end of this year. The next Parliamentary election is scheduled in April-May 2019. “Prime Minister Mr Modi has put an end to all speculation doing rounds that general elections will be advanced. Mr Modi clearly instructed everyone present in the meeting to not talk about the Parliament polls,” he added. It was learnt from sources that the Prime Minister does not wish to create any hype regarding the BJP’s preparation or agenda for the general elections well in advance. “It is believed that talking too much too early may over expose the party’s preparation to the electorate. Over exposure is not going to do good strategically,” said a party MP present in the meeting. Another party MP clarified that the campaign or talks for last general election held in 2014 kicked off in September 2013 after Mr Modi was announced as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate.

Earlier, there was speculation that the government was planning to advance the general election by five to six month.

Prime Minister Modi, meanwhile, asked party leaders to increase their visibility on the ground. “Mr Modi urged all of us present in the meeting to create mass awareness about good works of the government and also sought feedback from the public or their expectations from the government,” said a BJP parliamentarian.