Gujarat is BJP's lab for experiments in…: JP Nadda

BJP president JP Nadda said, "Gujarat is a laboratory (for the BJP) for governance and party organisation. We will implement this model across the country."

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Gandhinagar: BJP president J P Nadda on Friday said Gujarat is a "laboratory" for his party for the matters pertaining to governance and party organisation.

Nadda, who is on a day's visit to the state, also claimed that the BJP is the only true national party in the country now as Congress has become a party of "brother and sister" and regional parties have become family fiefdoms.

"Gujarat is a laboratory of governance and party organisation (for the BJP). We will implement this model across the country. As a party chief, it is also my responsibility to take ahead this model," he told reporters during a press conference here.

Successful "experiments" to develop the party and make it a "medium of change" were carried out in Gujarat when Narendra Modi was a party office-bearer and later chief minister, he added.

"Modi ji created a development model in Gujarat. At the national level, we are now seeing the reflection of that experiment carried out in Gujarat by Modi as chief minister," said Nadda.

The sudden change of guard effected by the party last year in the state when chief minister Vijay Rupani and his cabinet resigned and a new government under Bhupendra Patel's leadership replaced it was also an "experiment" carried out as part of the party's strategy, he said.

Notably, Assembly elections are due in the BJP-ruled state in December this year.

"See, it's a laboratory. Otherwise which party would have dared to do that (replace the entire cabinet). It was part of our strategy and it can not be discussed in public. Let us decide what experiment is needed for what purpose," said Nadda when asked about the reason for the Rupani cabinet's exit in September 2021.

The party has changed the political culture in India as prime minister Modi's politics based on development has given a tough fight to the politics based on caste, community and region as well as dynastic politics, the BJP chief said.

Asked about Union minister Nitin Gadkari's recent remark that there was a need for a "strong opposition", he said it is the responsibility of opposition parties to become stronger.

Earlier, addressing party workers at the Ahmedabad airport upon arrival, Nadda said any party which wants to compete with the BJP will need to work hard for at least 50-60 years to be a worthy opponent.

After addressing party leaders including MPs and MLAs at the state BJP headquarters in Gandhinagar, Nadda addressed nearly 5,000 party workers at the Gujarat University Convention Centre in Ahmedabad.

In his speech, he claimed that the BJP is the only true national party now.

"Except the BJP, there is not a single national party in the country because all the regional parties have now become family-controlled parties. For example, National Conference and PDP in Jammu and Kashmir, Akali Dal, Lok Dal, Samajwadi Party, RJD, BJD, YSR Congress, TRS, DMK, NCP and Shiv Sena," he said.

"The Indian National Congress is neither Indian, nor national nor a party today. It has become a party of brother and sister," he said, in a veiled reference to Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

"That party is currently ruling two states, and, with your blessings, lotus (the BJP's symbol) will bloom in these states too in the future," he said.