Farmers' welfare Rajdharma of BJP: Rajnath

Passing two separate resolutions on the welfare of the farmers and the poor, BJP on Friday sought to send a feel good signal to voters and electrify cadres ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha election.

The party's three-pronged strategy seeks to reach out to "gaon, gareeb and kisan".

In the backdrop of farmer agitations having signed the prospects of BJP in state polls and threatening to throw its Lok Sabha poll performance haywire, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who moved the resolution on farmers' welfare, said the wellbeing of farmers is in reality a ‘Rajdharma” for BJP and not an issue of politics. A “new hope among the poor” has arisen under Modi regime, he said.

Singh also claimed that a trust has been created among farmers due to the sensitivity shown by the Prime Minister. Reeling out figures, he said that Modi government increased allocations for different heads of agriculture during its five-year tenure and brought all crops under the ambit of insurance.

Singh, whom BJP has time and again fielded to counter Opposition’s anti-farmer campaign against the government, assured the farming community that Modi government is “not satisfied with what it has done so far for them” and indicated more is in the offing.

"The BJP lauds its government for successfully working out issues of farmers' income. In the new India that we are trying to create, we will not just reach the goal of doubling farmers' income but would be looking ahead. We are conceptualising an independent, able, strong and prosperous farmer as our 'annadata', who will take the country's economy to great heights," the resolution read.

Briefing media, party general secretary Bhupendra Yadav called Modi “biggest well-wisher of farmers” and expressed confidence that backed by their support, the party will come to power with a huge mandate in 2019.

The party’s political resolution will be adopted on Saturday when Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivers his speech, setting the tone for 2019 campaign.

Last meeting

Top BJP leaders, addressing the party’s last national council meet before 2019 LS polls, dwelt at length on the schemes implemented by Modi government in last four-and-a-half years and tried to raise the morale of the cadres after the 3:0 defeat in Hindi heartland states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

At the event attended by thousands of BJP workers and delegates from across the country, top leaders, including BJP chief Amit Shah, talked at length about Modi government’s efforts to provide gas connection to poor villagers and bring electricity to villages, while reeling out figures to portray the UPA’s “poor” delivery on these counts.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said since Modi government had provided for livelihood, housing and medical treatment of people, they are praying to God to return Modi to power again. “The number of beneficiaries of these schemes will reach 25 crore. They are praying with raised hands that this government is repeated. If they are doing so, the same government under leadership of Modi will come to power again,” she said.

At the conclave, Modi was also felicitated for the passage of the law to provide 10 % quota for economically weaker sections among the forward category.