Blood young faces, boost BJP roots: PM Modi is 'atal'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned emotional at the BJP's continued electoral successes, fondly referred to his association with former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and called for strengthening the party at its roots. The PM pitched for young faces ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Addressing the BJP parliamentary party here on Wednesday, he also urged leaders not to be affected by the Opposition's "disinformation" campaign against the party, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said.

Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday that Gujarat's election outcome was "a moral victory" for the Congress and "a massive jolt" for the BJP, and has "raised questions on Modi's credibility". The BJP won a sixth straight term in Gujarat on Monday, but got 16 seats less, compared to the 2012 Assembly elections

Modi asserted that it was a big win for his party in his home state. No party in power at the Centre has done this well in elections across the country in over three years of tenure as the BJP has , he said, referring to the BJP's winning streak in Assembly elections.

"This is no mean achievement. We have won for the sixth time in a row and are spread in 19 states, a feat that even Congress could not achieve during Indira Gandhi's peak when her party ruled in 18 states," PM Modi reportedly told BJP parliamentarians.

He exhorted them to start preparing for the 2019 polls by strengthening party's base.

Modi also referred to his association with party president Amit Shah, who was present at the meeting, and spoke about how he groomed Shah, 14 years younger to the Prime Minister, they said.

In his address, Shah attacked the Congress over its claim of a moral victory in the Gujarat polls, saying it was a "laughable exercise" for the opposition party to see victory in defeat.

BJP MPs who attended the meeting said, the PM traced the party's journey from 2 seats in 1984 to the present and became emotional when he fondly recalled Vajpayee and said that had he been healthy, he would have been happy to see the party rise to such glorious heights.

Modi remembered how Vajpayee congratulated him in person when the party did well in the 1998 Lok Sabha elections in Gujarat when he had joined the BJP from the the RSS and was not widely known in the party.

The PM got emotional for a second time when he spoke about the faith the people of Gujarat have put in the party and him and increased its vote share to 50%.

Giving his own example of travelling to eight states immediately after wrapping Gujarat campaign on December 12 and at the same time delivering responsibility as the PM, Modi asked the MPs to shirk off laid back attitude and work for the country and the party.

"Hum yahan satta bhogney ke liye nahi aaye hain, balki desh ko aagey le jaane ke liye chuney gaye hain. Mein abhi 8 rajyon ka daura kareke aaya hun, agar aap mujhse aur kaam chahte hain to mujhe bataiye mein tayyar hun. (We have not come here to indulge in fruits of power but have come to serve the country and take it forward. I have just come back after visiting 8 states, if you want me to do work more, I'm ready to do it), the PM reportedly told BJP MPs.