In their opposition to PM, parties started opposing India: Nadda

Ahmedabad: Stating that Opposition parties have started opposing the country while targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president JP Nadda on Monday said the people's faith in the strong leadership of the saffron party handed it "grand victory" in various elections held even during the pandemic period.
In his address to a group of senior office-bearers of the BJP, MPs, MLAs, and district presidents at the party headquarters in Gandhinagar, Nadda mentioned the BJP's emergence as the single largest party in Kashmir in the first election held after the removal of the Article 370, the Gujarat BJP said in a release.

"It is the people's faith in the strong leadership of the party that has resulted in victory in elections across the country," the release quoted Nadda as saying.

He also hailed the approval granted to two indigenous COVID-19 vaccines by the Central drugs regulator.

Nadda was on his maiden visit to Gujarat, where local body elections are slated to held next month, after becoming the BJP's president in January last year.

He was accorded a grand welcome with traditional dance at the BJP's state office in Gandhinagar where Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel along with other senior leaders and office-bearers were present.

In his address, Nadda said Gujarat is the living example of the BJP's working style and the excellent performance of the government.

Gujarat is the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Referring to the global COVID-19 epidemic, Nadda said that 2020 was the 'year of crisis' for the whole world, but under the leadership of PM Modi, India faced the situation strongly and converted the disaster into a blessing.

"It is gratifying that two indigenous vaccines of the country have been approved while countries around the world are making efforts to make vaccines," Nadda said, as per the release.

On Sunday, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approved Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute, and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country, paving the way for a massive inoculation drive.

"While many political parties went into lockdown mode during the (COVID-19) lockdown, the BJP workers worked day and night in the service of the masses. Unfortunately, in their opposition to PM Modi, the opposition parties started opposing the country," the BJP president said.

Speaking at the meeting, chief minister Rupani said the victory of the BJP in the forthcoming local body elections is certain owing to the "sincere and untiring efforts of BJP workers and the people-oriented work of the government".

BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santosh, national general secretary V Satish, national vice president Bhartiben Shiyal, co-incharge of Gujarat Sudhir Gupta, were also present, the release said.

Elections to six municipal corporations, including Ahmedabad, 55 municipalities, 31 district panchayats and 231 taluka pachayats were supposed to be held in November, 2019, a month before their five-year terms came to end, but were postponed by three months in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.