Joint Oppn...

His remarks come in the backdrop of former arch-rivals Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party cobbling up an alliance in Uttar Pradesh, which accounts for 80 Lok Sabha seats. This alliance defeated the BJP in three by-elections to Lok Sabha seats in recent months.

Modi was also dismissive of the Congress as a serious challenger in 2019. He said other parties, even smaller parties, do not want to align themselves with the Congress and some even consider it as a baggage. “This leadership trouble is also from within the Congress,” Modi said.

Reacting to the remarks, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said: “In 2014, Shri Narendra Modi was elected by the people of India, because he promised to deliver ‘New India’ in 60 months. Having run a ‘Jumla’ Govt for 52 months, Modi-shah duo is weaving another set of lies to befool the people.” “#Bjpnationalexecutive summary -: Arrogance ‘Modi-fied’! + ‘Shahi’ Arrogance!!!” Surjewala tweeted.

Modi also spoke about his welfare schemes and said his government’s “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” (development for all) outlook has benefitted people from across castes and communities. The government, he said, wants development with human face, equality with humanity, and prosperity for the country on the bedrock of simplicity.

A political resolution adopted at the meeting said Modi defies conventional political wisdom about incumbency by recording a 70% popularity rating after four years in power. The party did not say where this figure came from.

“No other Indian leader comes anywhere close to him. Since 2014, we have won elections in 15 states and lost in six. We are in power in 20 Indian states today while the Opposition controls 10; Congress has its governments in three out of them. 60% of India ruled by BJP governments besides the central government,” read the party document. The party spoke about the final draft list of the National Citizens Register in Assam, the Goods and Services Tax, and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code as some of the government’s key achievements. The resolution said that India’s economic basics were being set right while bringing economic discipline and rule of law in the governance. “As a result, after a brief slowdown, the Indian economy is rising fast,” it said.

“In his speech, Modi framed the prospect of opposition unity as an asset, rather than a liability. By painting a potential ‘mahagathbandhan’ as an intellectually bankrupt, leaderless marriage of convenience designed to keep the BJP out of power, Modi is able to play the victim card,” said Milan Vaishnav of the Carnegie Endowment of International Peace. “The subtext of his message is: you can’t beat something with nothing.”