BJP’s 370 seats will be real tribute to Syama Prasad Mookerjee, his fight for J&K’s integration: Modi

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (Feb 17) addressed more than 11,000 delegates of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in one of its biggest organisational get-togethers. The meeting focussed on deciding the campaign theme ahead of the upcoming general elections.

Addressing the party workers, PM Modi said they should set the target of winning 370 seats as a tribute to Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the founder of Jana Sangh. Jana Sangh was the political arm of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Jana Sangh underwent several transformations before eventually becoming what the world today knows as the BJP, the world’s largest political party.

Syama Prasad Mookerjee campaigned against Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. In August 2019, the Modi government scrapped Article 370, fulfilling a decades-old promise.

Speaking at the Bharat Mandapam in Delhi, Modi said each party worker should focus on his or her polling booth now, promote the welfare measures and development work of the BJP government among the voters, and ensure that he or she gets 370 more votes than the last time for the party in his or her booth.

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In the 2019 general elections, PM Modi’s BJP won 303 seats in the lower house of the parliament, surpassing expectations and also the majority mark of 272.

Addressing the media at the BJP National Council meeting, party National General Secretary Vinod Tawde said that PM Modi talked about their party’s Mission 370 for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.

“In today’s meeting, while guiding all the party workers, PM Modi said that BJP will get 370 and NDA 400 (seats), where 370 is not just a number but a tribute from us to Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee. Our campaign will be centred around development, the welfare of the poor and putting the nation at a place of pride in the world, we need to take these things to the people,” Tawde said.

Later, BJP chief JP Nadda told the delegates that BJP was the only party that had maintained the same ideological stand from 1951 to the present day.

He emphasised that despite having a tough, busy schedule, PM Modi gives priority to the party and always thinks about taking it to new heights.

(With inputs from agencies)