LS 2024: Amit Shah asks BJP leaders to maintain 'adhikar' on Lord Ram

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to maintain its “adhikar” over Lord Ram, using the Ram Janmabhoomi issue as the main emotive issue while seeking votes in forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.

The strategic decision was taken at a meeting chaired by party chief J P Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah at party headquarters in the national capital on Tuesday.

At the meeting, Shah is understood to have told senior leaders “Bhagwan Ram par hamara Adhikar hai, hum sanskritik rashtrawad ki baat karte hain”.

Party's leaders were asked to ensure that the respective leaders and candidates in each Lok Sabha constituency establish and make people aware of the BJP’s contribution to the Ram Janmabhoomi temple movement over the past several decades which is culminating in Pran Pratishtha at Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya next week. “Voters need to be told that amongst the political parties, only the BJP has been standing behind the Ram temple steadfastly and it had officially made it part of their electoral manifesto,” sources pointed out.

The people would be made aware that it was due to the party’s steadfast support of the Ram temple issue that it had to face the dismissal of several of its state governments, including that of Kalyan Singh in Uttar Pradesh, in the aftermath of the demolition of the disputed structure. “In fact, the BJP had almost become a pariah on the national political scene with very few alliance partners coming to support the Hindu nationalist cause, causing it to lose no confidence vote during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure,” sources pointed out.

The BJP leaders were also asked to ensure that the role of the opposition INDIA bloc, especially Congress’ attempts at delaying the construction of Ram Janmabhoomi temple at Ayodhya and other political party’s roles in opposition to the temple’s cause should also be brought to the fore, sources said.

People’s memories of instances like firing on Kar Sewaks during the Samajwadi Party government’s tenure, while instances including Shiv Sena, Aam Aadmi Party, the Communist parties and others over taunts on BJP’s slogans like “Mandir wahi banayenge, par taarikh nahi batayenge” would also be taken up locally by the saffron cadre.

The BJP feels that by refreshing the memory of voters regarding the negative impact of opposition political parties on the Ram temple issue the saffron unit could make an emotional connection with the people. At the same time this would also ensure that people see the recent rejection of the invitation to Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha by several opposition parties as their inherent stand against the temple, sources said.

At the meeting 543 Lok Sabha seats were divided into 146 clusters, in which electoral preparations and strategy will be overseen by 300 party leaders, sources said.

Apart from the Ram Janmabhoomi issue, the top leadership of the BJP also asked its workers to connect with all beneficiaries of Central government welfare schemes. “The focus should be on approaching first-time and young voters, gathering them in party’s meetings to create a positive approach for BJP’s policies,” sources added.

The leaders were also asked to send a message regarding changes that have occurred in the nation over the past decade of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rule at the Centre. “The difference between the Bharat of 2014 and the developed Bharat of 2024 needs to be told to the voters,” senior leaders emphasized at the meeting.

The workers were asked to ensure winning in 2024 not just for the sake of winning but to ensure that the last man standing in the queue should benefit from BJP’s welfare policies.

Over the past few days, the BJP's top leadership has held several meetings to finalize the party's strategy for ensuring PM Modi's third term in office.