Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh on Saturday lauded Gujarat’s Narendra Modi as the most popular Chief Minister.
Speaking at the party’s national council meet, Singh hailed Modi as the first CM belonging to the party, who has registered "never before" three consecutive electoral wins for the party in Gujarat.
All countries are talking about Modi's development model, said Singh, who also asked party workers to give the Gujarat CM a standing ovation.
"His government has earned praise from the international world, be it America, considered to be the most developed nation, or the European countries, all have praised his development model and good governance. And it's quite natural that we all party workers must have had a pleasant feeling because of all this," he added.
"We have never seen the BJP winning three elections under one leadership," Singh said as Modi stepped forward on the dais to accept plaudits from the delegates.
"It won't be proper to welcome Modi with mere words. He deserves a good round of applause, a standing ovation," Singh said.
The BJP president also heaped praise on Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Raman Singh respectively for leading "successful" governments. He also had words of praise for Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushilkumar Modi and Leader of the BJP legislature party in Punjab, where the party is sharing power with the Akali Dal.
The BJP president also said the party was looking up to LK Advani to guide it through the challenges being faced by the country.
"If there is somebody who can guide us, it is Advani. When the country is passing through a difficult phase we don't need to worry," Singh said, addressing party workers at Talkatora Stadium here.
"This government is a failure on all fronts whether diplomatic or financial. But with Advani's guidance, if anybody can overcome these problems it will be the BJP," he said.
Singh also defended his predecessor Nitin Gadkari, saying the allegations against the former BJP president were completely false and baseless.
Singh said Gadkari took a decision not to take up the post again despite senior leaders trying to dissuade him.
"So I took up the post. I know the accusations (against Gadkari) are totally baseless. I had assured him not to worry and that the entire country is with him. The party was strengthened by him," Singh said.
On Friday also, Modi came in for special praise at BJP’s national executive meeting.
Singh further accused the UPA government of failure of various counts including in ensuring security, maintaining diplomatic relations, particularly with neighbouring countries, tackling Naxalism and handling of the economy and sought to project the BJP as an alternative.
"We haven't seen a strong leadership in the Congress-led UPA," the BJP president said.
BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain earlier in the day said the motive of this meet is to analyse the economic conditions of the country and also chalk out a strategy to counter the anti-people policies of the Congress-led UPA Government.
"Our party believes in good governance and we would pledge here at the meet to provide good governance to the nation. We would also discuss the strategy to counter the policies of the ruling Congress Party, which has been burning a hole in the pockets of the common man," said Hussain.
Members of BJP's national council and executive, lawmakers, legislators, state office bearers, national coordinators of frontal organisations and some other party functionaries are attending the meeting.
(With Agency inputs)
First Published: Saturday, March 02, 2013, 09:15