Fulfill people's aspirations: Advani to BJP leaders

New Delhi: People expect a lot from BJP after its victory in Lok Sabha elections, and party workers and leaders have to show determination to fulfill the aspirations of the electorate, senior party leader LK Advani said today. The party will not be judged by how ministers work and deal with people but how workers conduct in public and deal with people in their day-to-day lives, the BJP veteran said.[caption id=“attachment_1657245” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  BJP patriarch LK Advani. Reuters [/caption] Advani felt there was a “sense of accountability and responsibility” in the speeches delivered during today’s conclave, and said the arrangements at the National Council meeting proved that those attending the conclave have no arrogance of victory. Taking a dig at Congress, he said while BJP crossed the 272 mark in Lok Sabha even though people questioned the target set by Narendra Modi, the previous ruling party got just 44 seats and it could not even open an account in some states. Advani also recalled the contribution of Bharatiya Jan Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Deen Dayal Upadhyay, then RSS Sarsanghchalak Golwalkar Guruji and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in shaping the future of BJP. He said a series of discussions between Mukherjee and Guruji after the 1951 Kanpur session helped Jan Sangh and later the BJP evolve as “a party with a difference”. He said with its association with RSS, Bharatiya Jan Sangh came to be known not only as a political party but as a philosophy. The former deputy prime minister recalled how RSS helped Jan Sangh develop in various parts of the country with the help of dedicated RSS cadre. Mukherjee had asked Guruji to help him spread the network of Jan Sangh as his area of influence was limited to West Bengal. Advani also noted that though BJP evolved as a party with a difference, at times people have joked that it was a “party with differences” and said this had hurt party workers. Advani said he wanted only Modi to speak in the post-lunch session but party president Amit Shah insisted that he too should address the gathering. PTI