Amit Shah reviews BJP performance at national executive meet, Narendra Modi likely to speak on economy today

New Delhi: BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday took stock of the party’s year-long expansion drive as its national executive meeting began on Sunday during which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to answer Opposition’s criticism of the state of the economy. After inaugurating the two-day meeting in New Delhi, Shah held a meeting with office-bearers, state chiefs and key organisational leaders to finalise agenda items, including resolutions, which the national executive is expected to discuss on 25 September, the birth anniversary of Hindutva icon Deen Dayal Upadhyaya.

#Visuals of Bharatiya Janata Party national executive meeting in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/HFWpjtFTSU

— ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2017

During the office bearers’ meeting, Shah reviewed the performance of the party in the last one year and its activities, party general secretary Bhupender Yadav said. It was also decided to take forward prime minister Modi’s ‘Swachh Bharat’ mission and the resolve to establish a ‘New India’ and make them a success. General Secretary Vinay Sahasrabuddhe also shared the details of Shah’s country-wide tour during the meeting and said the party chief travelled 50,000 kilometres and interacted with 18,000 workers across the country to strengthen the BJP. [caption id=“attachment_4077595” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Amit Shah being greeted by Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari during the party office bearers’ meeting at NDMC Convention Centre, in New Delhi on Sunday. PTI[/caption] More than four lakh party workers, covered 4,100 Assembly seats across the country to mark the birth centenary of Upadhyaya, Yadav said. To mark the birth centenary celebrations of Upadhyaya, the party has also dedicated the year to the ‘welfare of the poor’ and the government has taken various initiatives on this front while curbing corruption, he said. A key highlight of the meeting will be the presence of the party’s all elected lawmakers, close to 1,400 MLAs, 337 MPs and all MLCs, besides its core group leaders from states among others on Monday. Modi, who will deliver the valedictory address on Monday, may use the opportunity to highlight his government’s pro-poor measures and other policy decisions. With the Opposition parties attacking the government’s handling of the economy by citing the fall in GDP rate and demonetisation figures, Modi is expected to take them on and highlight his dispensation’s “successes” in boosting transparency and curbing black money, party sources said. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has consistently attacked the government over economy during his visit to the US. The BJP sources said the party’s resolution is likely to assert that the economy has been doing better under the NDA than it did under the previous UPA government. The roll-out of the GST has been described by the party as a major success of the government which, it has asserted, will integrate the country’s economy. The prime minister’s agenda of development is also expected be a key feature. A senior party leader said the issue of Rohingya immigrants, whom the government has termed a threat to security, may also find a mention. With the government and the party embracing Upadhyaya’s plank of ‘antyodaya’ (upliftment of the last man), the executive is expected to cite a number of measures taken by the Union and the BJP-ruled states for the poor’s welfare.