Smriti Irani from Sultanpur, Brajesh Pathak from Unnao: No surprises in 120 National Council members from UP

“In the journey from 2014 to 2025, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the mindset and the way of working changed. At the international level, India’s identity also changed. Today, wherever we go carrying the Indian passport, the honour and respect one gets abroad as an Indian, it was never the same before 2014,” Goyal said.

He also said the way the Modi government has made good governance its focal point, linked a developing country with development, made the spirit of ‘antyodaya’ reach houses in the true sense, and changed the lives of people after 2014, it is a “precedent” for the country and the world.

The Union minister also listed the achievements of the government and said it has pulled a record number of 25 crore people from poverty in 11 years.

Goyal, while praising Uttar Pradesh chief minister, said Yogi Adityanath has freed the state from land mafia, sand mafia, and liquor mafia in the past eight years.

He has ensured good law and order and made Uttar Pradesh the second largest economy in India, which is moving towards USD 1 trillion, Goyal said.

“I feel that both leaders (Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi) have worked to take India and Uttar Pradesh forward with a new thought and in a new direction, which is in front of us, and it inspires all of us,” he said.

The Union minister also said that there is probably no other state that has developed so much in eight years, and there are unlimited possibilities (in the state).

Recalling his conversation with Adityanath, the Union minister said the chief minister has expressed the desire to have global capability centres set up in the state, where big global companies can establish their centres.

Recalling the party’s victory in the 2017 Assembly elections in the state, he said, “When the then BJP chief, Amit Shah, informed Yogi Adityanath that you have to go to Lucknow, take the command of UP… This took place at my residence in New Delhi.”

Adityanath was then a Lok Sabha MP and was named the chief minister after the party won the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.

“Perhaps, my relationship with UP has been very close,” Goyal said. Meanwhile, UP BJP election in-charge Mahendra Nath Pandey said that the party enlisted 2.60 crore primary members during the election process this time, which is much higher than in 2019.

(With PTI inputs)