Don’t feel depressed with bypoll defeats, says Amit Shah to party workers

The BJP suffered reverses in its strongholds in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat just four months after its spectacular Lok Sabha victory in what was considered a test of popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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“Friends don’t measure these by-election results. There are elections in four states. You will see BJP will win elections in these states with a thumping majority and our agenda of Congress-free India will move forward,” Shah said.

He was speaking after laying the foundation stone for the statue of Sardar Vallabhai Patel and a martyrs’ memorial at Gorta,a village in Bidar district on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border. The memorial is in honour of about 200 villagers who were massacred by the private army of the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1948 and to mark liberation of Hyderabad-Karnataka from the Nizam’s rule. It was also on September 17 that Hyderabad was liberated from Nizam’s rule and merged with the Indian Union.

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Shah, who was credited for his role in BJP’s stupendous win in Uttar Pradesh in Lok Sabha polls, said, “I want to tell all BJP workers across the country that don’t feel depressed from these by-election results. Work with full strength in the upcoming elections in four states and I’m sure BJP will form government in these states.”

“Maharashtra and Haryana elections are on October 15, counting is on October 19, I want to tell all my party workers for victory celebrations on October 19,” Shah said.

Shah said he had visited Maharashtra and Haryana and there is “a wave of change” in both states where BJP is going to form government.

“I want to tell the party workers of both the states to work with full determination in their respective capacities in the upcoming elections.”

“Work for the victory of the party and victory will be for BJP and no one can change this,” the BJP chief said. Assembly polls are also due in Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir.

Thanking people of Karnataka for their contribution in providing stable government under the leadership of Narendra Modi, Shah said it was almost 100 days of Modi government, but it was not a big period to assess its performance.

“… but in these 1OO days this government has set its objectives for the progress of the country and initiated process in this direction.”

He said government has worked towards bringing down inflation, border security, infrastructure development, agriculture development and financial inclusion.

Speaking about the importance being given to India at the global level, Shah said Manmohan Singh and Montek Singh Ahluwalia used to look at IMF and the US for all major decisions, but now the days have come when the US Secretary of State comes here and talks of ‘Sabka Saat, Sabka Vikas’.

“This is also a big change that the Modi government has brought about in hundred days.”

On flood hit Jammu & Kashmir, he said “government gave help almost immediately, our Home Minister visited there within days followed by Prime Minister.

“Indian armed forces are doing a great job there. The valley in which armed forces were pelted stones, and demands used to come to move them out of the state, the same people are garlanding our army and welcoming, this is also shows the efficiency with which our government has worked.”

He also sought support from people of the state for “Congress free India” and also Congress free Karnataka.