PM Modi heaps praise on Gujarat BJP, its chief Paatil as party savours record-breaking state poll win

The jubilation in the BJP over its record-breaking win in the Gujarat polls echoed in its parliamentary party meeting on Wednesday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was felicitated for the victory.

Modi, in turn, heaped praise on the state unit, especially its president C R Paatil, and said the victory is owed to the BJP’s organisational strength and its workers, Union minister Pralhad Joshi told reporters after the meeting.

Sources in the party said Modi lauded the BJP’s Gujarat unit as an example of how electoral victory is possible if the party organisation is strong.

The prime minister’s high praise for Paatil, his close confidant, underlines his rising stock within the party following its win in 156 seats in the polls to the 182-member assembly. Modi also praised the party’s national president J P Nadda.

Paatil is known for his micro-management of constituencies down to the booth-level and most households, a factor behind his own win by a record margin of nearly seven lakh votes from the Navsari Lok Sabha seat in 2019. He is credited for replicating the model to a large extent across the state, leading to a rise in the party’s vote share, which coupled with a split in the opposition votes, helped it in achieving an unprecedented tally.

The BJP was successful in taking its work to the people and ensuring that there was no anti-incumbency at work as it won its seventh assembly polls on the trot, the prime minister said.

In his speech, Modi also spoke of India’s G-20 presidency and asked MPs to come out with innovative ideas to involve people in organising various events across the country in the run up to the summit meeting next year.

With numerous foreign delegates expected to attend these meetings to be held in several Indian cities, he said they should be accorded a warm welcome and get glimpses of traditional culture and custom.

Union Minister Ashiwini Vaishnaw gave a presentation on the Indian economy in the meeting. Citing international publications, he said India is a bright spot among top seven countries.

Citing the data of last several decades, the presentation stated that inflation and unemployment were always higher in Congress governments and lower in BJP governments. Bank credit is the highest in many years, while capacity utilisation in industry has increased, he said.