Opposition grand alliance an eyewash: Shah

BJP President Amit Shah on Saturday dismissed the proposed opposition grand alliance as an “eyewash” and said the party was confident of returning to power with a bigger mandate in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing the inaugural session of the BJP's two-day National Executive meeting, Shah urged party workers not to become complacent despite the BJP's electoral successes since 2014. He said the party would fight the next general election on the strength of the Narendra Modi government's performance and its organisational network.

“The talk of mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) is eyewash based on falsehood. It is not going to make any difference in 2019 because we have fought against each and every opposition party in 2014. We are not bothered about it,” Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman quoted Shah as saying while briefing reporters.

Shah also set an ambitious target for the party in the Assembly elections, with Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Telangana on its immediate electoral agenda. Telangana was added to the list after the state Assembly was dissolved.

The BJP chief said the party was already in power in 19 states and expressed confidence about its prospects in the Lok Sabha polls. He particularly identified West Bengal, Odisha and Telangana as states where the BJP could make further gains, while also expecting an improved performance in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Shah told party workers that the BJP should focus on reaching voters with its development record rather than being distracted by opposition unity efforts. He said the party's objective was to secure a larger mandate than it received in 2014.

Taking aim at the Congress, Shah accused the opposition party of joining hands with groups that, according to him, wanted to “break” the country, contrasting it with the BJP's stated focus on nation-building.

He also criticised former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over his recent remarks on the Modi government's performance, saying: “Manmohan Singh follows his party, while Modi leads. That is the difference.”

On the economic front, Shah asked BJP workers to familiarise themselves with government data and achievements so they could counter criticism from opposition leaders, including former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram.

He cited initiatives such as Make in India, higher minimum support prices for farmers, the proposed Ayushman Bharat healthcare programme and constitutional status for the Backward Classes Commission among the government's achievements that should be taken to the public.

Shah also addressed several politically sensitive issues. On the recent arrests of alleged Maoist sympathisers, he supported the Maharashtra government's action against what he described as “urban naxals” and accused the Congress of using the issue for political gains.

On the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Shah said the BJP would proceed with its implementation with determination. He also said members of certain religious communities from neighbouring countries seeking refuge would be given shelter.

He further pressed for the passage of the triple talaq legislation, arguing that several Muslim-majority countries had already enacted laws on the issue and blaming the Congress for the bill's delay in the Rajya Sabha.

The BJP National Executive's decision earlier in the day to postpone the party's organisational elections until after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls cleared the way for Shah to continue as party president and lead the BJP into the general election.

The meeting thus marked an early indication of the BJP's electoral strategy for 2019, with the party combining its government performance, organisational strength and opposition criticism as key campaign themes.