Author: Ravish Tiwari
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: March 3, 2013
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/modi-takes-centre-stage-as-bjp-rolls-out-2014-roadmap/1082329/0

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, seen by many in the BJP as their best bet for a prime ministerial candidate in the next Lok Sabha elections, today took centre stage at the party national council meet after BJP president Rajnath Singh showered him with praise for winning three consecutive assembly polls and implementing a development model that "all countries are talking about".

With the party raising the poll cry of Sushasan Sankalp, BJP Vikalp, the rank and file were told that the national council was a "war council" because the 2014 elections will be a "battle". They were assigned a "400-day roadmap" for the remaining days. Rajnath Singh even asked council members to "volunteer" and "work for the remaining one year as whole-timer" without asking for tickets or posts in return.

But it was Singh's praise for Modi that created a buzz. "It is not proper for me to welcome Narendra Modi by just using words. I will request all of you to give him a standing ovation for at least a minute." The party top brass, comprising Central leaders and chief ministers seated on the dais, rose and and clapped for Modi.

Deviating from the text of the presidential address, Singh went on: "Words alone will not suffice. I would like to garland him as well." All around, delegates chanted Desh ka neta kaisa ho, Narendra Modi jaisa ho.

"We have never managed to win three consecutive elections under the leadership of one person. Narendra Modi has achieved a hat-trick. It is an exhilarating achievement for all of us. All countries are talking about Modi's development model, be it the US or EU," Singh said. He described L K Advani as the party "guide" during difficult situations, the one who, along with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was responsible for the heights the BJP achieved.

Delhi BJP president Vijay Goel, whose unit hosted the meet, was more direct: "Nobody in this country sees Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister. Every child in the country will tell you they want Narendra Modi as Prime Minister... though the BJP is still to decide on this issue."

Modi, on his part, greeted party leaders and the delegates. He will be addressing the council tomorrow on sushasan (good governance). Though the Gujarat chief minister is not yet in the influential central bodies, the council passed a resolution authorising Rajnath Singh to re-jig the existing parliamentary board, central election committee and disciplinary committee. Singh said he would consult senior leaders before re-constituting the bodies in which Modi is likely to be accommodated.

BJP general secretary Ananth Kumar announced a "400-day roadmap" with "five-stages" of political work in the run-up to 2014. In the first stage, council members were asked to undertake a mahaabhiyan (major exercise) — gaon gaon chalo, ghar ghar chalo — to reach out to the electorate with BJP's "performance card of Vajpayee, Narendra Modi, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, and Raman Singh" and "a chargesheet against the Congress" during March-April-May.

"Just as Ram killed Ravan, Krishna killed Kansa, Obama killed Osama, corruption will kill Congress," Rajnath Singh said.

In stage two, council members will prepare for mega "workers' conferences" of 25,000-30,000 workers from 50 Lok Sabha constituencies. These will be addressed by top leaders, including Modi, during April-May.

The party will hold similar conferences at the district level during July-August when the monsoon will be at its peak. This will be followed by conferences in each Lok Sabha constituency during September-October-November.

In the last stage, during December-January, the party will hold mega rallies to raise the poll pitch. The programme, sources said, has been designed in such a way that in case the Congress decides to hold early elections along with assembly elections in November, the party's programme will have already reached the Lok Sabha constituency level.