• Source:JND
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday asked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers to build the Lok Sabha's campaign around its pro-poor work and the development of the country. He asserted that the winning of the 370 seats in the General Election will be a true tribute to the party's key ideologue, Syama Prasad Mookerjee. Mookerjee was a strident opponent of Article 370, which granted Jammu and Kashmir special rights. The Modi government scrapped the article in August 2019.

"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, and 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...," BJP's National General Secretary Vinod Tawde said, as quoted by news agency ANI.

Speaking at a meeting of the party's national office-bearers ahead of the start of the party's convention, he said every booth worker should now focus on polling booths and ensure at least 370 more votes for the party at each in the upcoming polls than in 2019. Briefing reporters, BJP General Secretary Vinod Tawde said the prime minister told the meeting that the opposition will raise "unnecessary and emotional issues" during the polls, but party members should stick to the issues of development, pro-poor policies, and the country's rising global standing. Tawde added that the party will launch a campaign to reach out to the beneficiaries of various central government schemes on February 25.

During the address, PM Modi noted that he has been the head of a government, including for more than 12 years as the Gujarat chief minister, for nearly 23 years, and there have been no allegations of corruption.

"It's been an 'aarop mukt' and a 'vikas yukt' period," he said in his briefing, noting that there has been no such instance of such a long tenure of anyone not drawing any taint.

(With input from agencies)