Kochi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi provided guidance to party workers on Wednesday on winning over voters in Kerala, where the BJP has not made any major gains in elections till now.
Addressing a gathering of around 6,000 in-charges of ‘Shakti Kendras,’ each comprising two to three booth-level areas, at Marine Drive, the prime minister said that Kerala has the potential to influence who will be in power in Delhi.
He urged the BJP workers to ensure victory in their respective booths.
“If we win our booths, we will win Kerala. For that you (party workers) have to focus your attention on every voter in every booth-level area and work hard.
“You should have a list of every beneficiary in your booth, meet them, get to know their names, meet their families; that should be the first priority,” Modi said.
He further advised his party workers to include in the ongoing Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra in Kerala those who have not yet benefited from the central government’s development and welfare schemes.
“You have to bring them to the vehicle of ‘Modi ki guarantee’. Modi ki guarantee means a commitment to fulfilling promises. I believe each one of you can convey this message to the people,” Modi said.
Claiming that the BJP is the only party in India with a proven track record of speedy development and a clear vision for the future, he urged the functionaries to make use of the My Bharat initiative, Namo app, as well as social media platforms to attract youth and spread positivity about the party and the schemes of the central government.
Speaking about the upcoming consecration ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, the PM called upon party workers to initiate cleanliness campaigns in temples across villages and cities.
Modi noted that Kerala is a state where the Ramayana month is celebrated and exhorted party workers to disseminate the message to every household in their area, encouraging them to illuminate the ‘Ram Jyoti’ on the evening of January 22 and ensure widespread participation in the event.
Among the responsibilities assigned to party workers, the prime minister emphasised the importance of regularly engaging with constituents in their designated ‘Shakti Kendras.’ He appealed to them to comprehend public opinions and identify schemes that could address prevalent issues.
Furthermore, every worker should take the responsibility of a fixed number of people, be it 10 families or 15 families, at their booth levels, the PM said.
“This way, right from now, the duties of every worker would be fixed. They will know what they have to do,” he said.
The prime minister also directed the party workers to ensure no person is left out of the voter list.
In his speech, Modi also highlighted the diverse initiatives like free ration, free medical treatment and free gas connection for the poor, implemented by his government to enhance the well-being of citizens.
Citing a recent report, he said in the last nine years around 25 crore people have been pulled out of poverty in India.
“This indicates that the direction that we have taken for a developed nation is the correct one,” he said.
“The BJP is the only party in India with a proven track record of speedy development and clear vision for the future,” he added.
The prime minister also asked party workers to point out to people that the track record of the LDF and UDF in Kerala was “synonymous with a history of corruption”.
Modi also referred to the welcome he received on Tuesday on his arrival in the state and said that he was overawed by the love and affection the people of Kerala.
He said that people blessed him on his arrival at Kochi on Tuesday and also on the route to the Thriprayar Sree Ramaswamy temple this morning.
The PM, who arrived on a two-day visit to Kerala, the second one in a span of two weeks, led a massive roadshow in this port city a day ago.
Thereafter, on Wednesday morning he offered prayers at Kerala’s famous Lord Krishna temple in Guruvayur and attended the wedding of actor-politician Suresh Gopi’s daughter, where top stars of Malayalam cinema were in attendance.
Later, he offered prayers at the Thriprayar Sree Ramaswamy temple situated on the bank of the Karuvannur river, also known as Theevra river, in Thrissur district.
This visit by Prime Minister Modi follows his recent remarks in Ayodhya about Kerala’s famous Nalambalam yatra ceremony, a pilgrimage to the abode of Lord Ram and his brothers Bharat, Lakshman, and Shatrughan during the Malayalam month of Karkidakam.
By afternoon, the PM returned to Kochi where he inaugurated projects worth Rs 4,000 crore, including key strategic initiatives at Cochin Shipyard Ltd.
He returned to Delhi after addressing the meeting of the BJP party workers.
PTI