Work 18 hours a day, says Amit Shah to BJP workers in poll-bound Rajasthan

Picking up from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi left, BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday asked cadres and leaders in Rajasthan to work for 18 hours a day to ensure that the party’s “vijay rath (victory juggernaut)” keeps rolling on.

Rajasthan goes to polls later this year while Lok Sabha elections are slated for early next year.

Addressing the valedictory session of the party’s state executive committee meeting in Jaipur, Shah said BJP was working for the country’s development but the Congress, which had never done so, was busy levelling baseless allegations.

Later addressing the social media team, Shah said that the party’s cyber warriors had always managed to defeat the Congress’ social media team and he expected them to repeat the feat during 2018 assembly elections and 2019 general elections. “There are only few months to go before elections. The vijay rath of BJP has to roll on and for that the BJP workers will have to work hard at the block and booth level,” he said, adding the social media team had a crucial role to play and different teams of “creative workers” should be formed at the block level.

Shah said that 32 lakh party workers in Rajasthan were connected with WhatsApp groups. He also cautioned the social media team on menace of fake news.

He gave the example of party’s victory in Tripura and UP to stress the point about the importance of strengthening the organization ahead of the elections.

Earlier, chief minister Vasundhara Raje and state BJP president Madanlal Saini presented Shah with a memento.

Shah later took a meeting of the BJP MPs, MLAs and party office-bearers at Indralok auditorium where he reviewed the preparations for the upcoming state and Lok Sabha polls.

“The party president said that every worker of the party should dedicate 18 hours a day for the party for the next few months. The party’s workers are full of energy and fully charged,” former state party chief Ashok Parnami told reporters after the meeting.

State Housing and Urban Development minister Shrichand Kriplani said that Shah wants the party to win more Assembly seats this time compared to last state elections.

“His visit has given a strength to the party and party workers and we will achieve the target of winning more than 180 Assembly seats in the upcoming elections,” he said.

Education minister Vasudev Devnani said Shah has asked partymen to reach out to the masses on the basis of works done by the Centre and the state government.

“He said the party workers should go among the masses and tell them the works done by our governments. Congress cannot do anything and victory in next elections is ours,” Devnani said.

Union ministers Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Arjunlal Meghwal, and Vijay Goel were also present at the working committee meeting.

The BJP national president had visited Jaipur last year in July to meet the party office bearers and public representatives. During his three day visit, Shah had tasked the leaders to strengthen the party at the booth level and implement the ‘vistarak’ scheme in which workers reach out to voters.