Amitabh Shukla
Madhopur (Punjab )
The lead was taken by the patron
of Shiromani Akali Dal and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal who laid
to rest all apprehensions and virtually declared that the next Lok Sabha polls
would be held under the leadership of Modi. “You do not belong to Gujarat
only…the country is waiting for you,” said Badal, asserting that he will
convene a big political rally soon in which Modi will be the chief guest to
announce the campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. Badal emerged as one of the
most powerful supporters of Modi in his speech and could help stitch alliances
for the NDA as it bids for power in 2014.
This was the first time Modi had
ventured outside Gujarat for a political function after
his appointment as the chairman of the campaign committee over two weeks ago.
Top BJP leaders from Punjab , Himachal Pradesh and Jammu
and Kashmir gathered here on the banks of the Ravi
river to commemorate the 60th martyrdom day of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh founder
president Shyama Prasad Mukherjee.
The choice of the site was
important as Mookerji had crossed over to Jammu and
Kashmir from Madhopur border and was arrested by the
then Sheikh Abdullah government and died in custody 60 years ago. The
endorsement of Modi’s leadership came not only from Badal but also the entire
BJP leadership of the region. Party veteran Shanta Kumar said it was time for a
change and the change could be brought under Modi.
“The country wants to get rid of
the Congress…we are looking for a Congress-free country,” he said, quoting
Modi’s speech at Goa which talked of a ‘Congress-mukt
desh’. In the same vein, he talked about the Gujarat
model of development and how this could be replicated in the county by Modi.
Party MP Avinash Rai Khanna gave a new definition of Modi saying M in the
surname of the Gujarat Chief Minister stood for Model, O for of, D for
Development and I for India .
From Punjab BJP president Kamal Sharma to BJYM president Anurag Thakur and
Ministers in the coalition Government in Punjab — there
was a competition among them to eulogise Modi in whatever vocabulary they had.
It was a Modi show all the way
with not only the leaders but also the party cadres from northern region
endorsing the name of Modi for the top job of the country. There was no mention
of the sulking LK Advani by the leaders and Modi himself hailed the Atal Bihari
Vajpayee Government as the harbinger of change.
Overwhelmed by the support of the
entire leadership of BJP and Akali Dal and amid thundering applause from
thousands of supporters listening to them in high humidity, a humbled Modi said
Badal was like a father figure from whom he learnt a lot while Shanta Kumar
showed him the way in politics when he was the in-charge of the northern region
from 1995 onwards. He appreciated the role of all leaders who made him what he
is today. He referred to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on several
occasions. However, he refrained from naming Advani even once in his long
speech. (June 24, 2013)
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