Modi government’s fourth anniversary seems to be dampened not only by the Karnataka setback, but also by the rising oil prices. The BJP chief Amit Shah said a solution will be found out in the next few days as the Union petroleum minister will hold consultations with various stakeholders.
In fact, the rising oil prices could become political hot potato for the ruling party since it is struggling to come up with a valid reason to convince the people. The BJP had used the issue to the hilt during the UPA regime when the oil prices were rising, now the BJP has the same issue staring in the face.
A reasonable resolution of oil prices would help the BJP to start its outreach programme on the completion of four years of Modi government. The party intends to cover 65,000 villages by August 15 where all the residents would be brought under the seven schemes of the government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his part would be holding a rally in Cuttack, Odisha, on May 26 to mark four years of his government at the Centre. Modi holds a rally every year on the anniversary of his swearing in to give his report card to the people.
The choice of venue assumes significance as the BJP is looking to expand its base in eastern India particularly in West Bengal and Odisha.
BJP chief Amit Shah, who held his second press conference in two days, gave out details of the Gram Swaraj programme carried out by the party with the help of government departments. Under this programme from April 14 to May 5, the BJP selected 16580 villages which had over 40 per cent dalit population to make them beneficiaries of the seven government schemes including Ujjwala, Subhagaya, Ujaala, Jandhan, Suraksha Bhima Yojna and Mission Indradhanush.
Shah said all the families which did not have LPG connection or electricity connection were given so, and all the children were immunised. BJP functionaries and 1200 government officials spent two nights each in the selected villages. “Now, another 50,000 villages will be taken up, and before the 2019 elections all the villages will be covered under these schemes,” Shah said highlighting his party's strategy to reach out to rural India.
“This is one of the biggest programme ever carried out since independence to reach the villages,” Shah claimed.
Despite the opposition unity getting cemented after the Karnataka episode, where the Congress and JD(S) are set to form the government on Wednesday, Shah said BJP will return to power in 2019. “All the parties who are gathering in Karnataka were against us during the 2019 elections also. Nothing new has happened. Our mandate will be even bigger (in 2019 elections),” he added.