A meeting of the workers of the Goa BJP unit by the brass of the party hours after the anointment of the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the party poll panel chief gave a good glimpse into the changed power equations within the party.
While the former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, ailing for some time, was remembered by speakers, senior party leader L. K. Advani, who resisted on the name of Mr. Modi till last minute, was scrupulously avoided by all.
One of the star speakers Arun Jaitley while referring to the decision on Mr. Modi, said, “A job well begun is half done.” Subsequently Mr. Modi modified it as “A job well begun is half won”.
The party president Rajnath Singh amid applause in the packed community hall said that appointment of Mr. Modi was the first step and it is the case of work half done.
In democracy only a popular leader could become the leader of the people, Mr. Rajnath said justifying his decision on Mr. Modi. “What I have done is not only for the party but also for the country. Therefore it is not me who is due for congratulations but the entire people of the country, all the workers of the BJP across the country,” he said stating that today was the happiest day in his life.
He told the workers, “We have given you such leadership. When one speaks of corruption you remember Prime Minister. Therefore the country needs such a leader today who has not even one charge of corruption against his name. Only such a leader can inspire confidence.”
In his long-winded speech Mr. Modi began thanking Mr. Singh for not only entrusting a big responsibility to him but doing it in such a manner that has given him great honour and respect in the eyes of the party workers and people at large.
“It is not enough that you occupy a high position to take such a decision, but you have to posses a big heart,” he said of Mr. Rajnath Singh. Mr. Modi promised to carry on his onerous responsibility and tasks coming along with it with equity and sense of responsibility for the benefit of the people.
“Our aim should not be change of government for the sake of power but to bring about a change in the decision-making process of the country.”
He took off on the recent Bharat Nirman ad-campaign of the UPA government by doubting their claims of development and twisted the original slogan of “Bharat Nirman Pe Hak Hai Mera” to “Bharat Nirman Pe Shak Hai Mera.”
He charged the UPA government with complete failure on all fronts and “policy paralysis” and gave a call to people to help the BJP save country from such a government so that the country itself was not rendered “helpless.”
Alluding to the last National Executive in Goa in 2002, when there was immense pressure on him to step down owning responsibility for horrendous riots, Mr. Modi said the State had always brought him special luck.
