BJP national executive meet - Day 1: As it happened

The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) National Executive is holding a two-day meet in Bengaluru beginning Friday.

Bengaluru: The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) National Executive is holding a two-day meet here beginning Friday. Here are the live updates:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi concludes his speech.
• You gave up gas subsidy, I will transfer it to the poor and needy. That's how we will save a household, PM says.
• We have four colors in our flag and we want four revolutions to take the nation forward, says PM. "White revolution for milk, blue revolution for the seas, green revolution for the grains and saffron for energy revolution."
• We want to work to reform land laws to give more benefits to the farmers so that they never have to look back, Modi says.
• I was born poor, I understand the pain of the farmers, he says.
• I am surprised at people who are pretending to fight for farmers' rights for political gains, PM takes dig at Congress for opposing land bill.
• Agriculture sector needs technology, infrastructure upgradation, farmer needs good roads, water in the fields, all time power for their upliftment, Modi points.
• Talking about the plight of the farmers, Modi says that previous governments have been unfair to the farmers.
• Spectrum auction is getting the country Rs 1 Lakh crore, says Modi, talks about employment opportunities and says his government has put emphasis on creating new IT jobs.
• We trust our states. We consider our states equal partners in India's progress, irrespective of what party the State Govt is, PM says.
• Cooperative federalism will be implemented in letter and spirit. Government will support all states in areas of development, says PM in Bengaluru.
• PM Modi says that the government will slowly take the country towards mobile governance. "Where there is mobile governance, there is good governance," he says.
• From smallest of things to the biggest of issues we have immense faith in the people of India, PM says.
• We presented the Rail Budget with a vision and the railways which had died earlier is now up and running, Modi says.
• Modi highlights that an auction of just 20 coal blocks has fetched Rs 2 lakh crore.
• When we would talk of coal during election time people mocked us, especially those in Government that time, Modi tells the crowd, adding that "We put our hand in coal and turned it into gold".
• Powerful nations at G20 summit also supported India's suggestions against black money.
• My request to other countries to stand with us in fight against black money was accepted, Modi says.
• When intentions are clear, decisions are also good, PM says.
• But you saw that in the first cabinet meeting itself we decided to form an SIT on black money, he adds.
• People taunted us, that we spoke about black money, "when will it come back"; they made noise to overcome truth, PM says
• Government's intentions are noble, will develop India, assures PM Modi.
• BJP at the Centre is being criticised implementing the already existing ideas, Modi says.
• I don't see any reason why India should lag behind in development, the PM says.
• You have given BJP a chance to rule the nation and I assure you that we will fulfill all the promises made and the hopes of the nation.
• Each time one picked a newspaper or saw news in the channels, there was a new corruption in light, India had become directionless in its path of developlment, Modi says.
• Since becoming the Prime Minister, I have been to Karnataka before, Modi says.
• PM Narendra Modi begins his address in Bengaluru. 
• Shah appealed to party workers to engage in social issues and also lauded the 10-month work of the Narendra Modi-led government, adding that the BJP will rule for 10-20 years.
• The BJP president mocked Congress, saying it should locate its "missing leader" instead of finding faults with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
• Amit Shah made remarks on Congress party. He should have seen that it was brain storming session not brain washing, says Congress' RPN Singh
• Time has come for BJP to give answers on the promises they made to the nation - Anand Sharma
• Amit Shah is national president of BJP. People expect him to talk with some maturity, says Congress' Anand Sharma following BJP president's jibe against Rahul Gandhi
• Five pillars on which new foreign policy has been established are respect, dialogue, prosperity, security and culture - MJ Akbar
• Under the leadership of PM Modi and his visionary transformational foreign policy we see India playing an important part, BJP spokesperson MJ Akbar  
• Details have emerged about BJP president Amit Shah's speech at the National Executive. As per reports, Shah played down the party's defeat in Delhi, but added that the Delhi unit needs to revive. He also said that the party should not get arrogant after election victories.

"The party president said we have had successes, and one failure in Delhi is not a big deal. He said such things happen. We should not get arrogant after victory and desperate after defeat," Union minister Prakash Javadekar quoted Shah as saying.

Talking about upcoming Assembly polls in Bihar, Shah said the "jungle raj" was back in the state since the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) broke away from the BJP. "The people of Bihar had given a joint mandate to the BJP and JD-U. Since the alliance broke up, jungle raj is back in Bihar," Shah was quoted as saying.

He further attacked the Congress-led Opposition for "deliberately spreading misgivings" about the Land Bill, which, he said, is pro-farmer.

"Opposition has deliberately spread many misgivings about the bill which is in the interest of farmers. We will take the message to farmers. BJP is a friend of farmers. It is farmers who have given us mandate,” Shah said.

• Meanwhile, it has been announced that BJP will hold nationwide rallies in support of Land Acquisition Bill. The first of such rallies will be held in Ranchi by Nitin Gadkari on May 6.
• Party president Amit Shah said in his address at the National Executive that that Opposition should not try to find shortcomings in the BJP which do not exist. Instead, Congress should try to find its leader - Javadekar  
• BJP is a friend of farmers. It's a party of farmers, led by farmers. We worked for farmers and shall continue to do so - Javadekar  
• Modi government will be in power for the next 10 to 20 years. We are not going anywhere - Javadekar
• PM Modi asked party workers to work on issues beyond realm of politics - Javdekar
• Will take forward 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padao' campaign - Javdekar
• BJP's internal democracy is intact unlike other parties - Javdekar
• The target is to enroll 10 crore members - Javdekar

• The party will also launch a programme to train over 15 lakh members – Javadekar
• BJP will launch a mega contact programme, will go door-to-door to meet people - Javadekar
• 2014 was a year of victories for us - Javadekar
• BJP has become the biggest party in the world. PM Modi, Amit Shah ji, LK Advani and Arun Jaitley were felicitated for that - Prakash Javadekar​
• BJP National Executive meet will be a futile exercise unless they decide on the fate of people like Giriraj Singh and Sakshi Maharaj - Hariprasad  
• You can imagine what could be the agenda for poor of the nation of people who hold their National Executive in a five-star hotel, says Congress BK Hariprasad
• Bengaluru police have detained several Congress workers who were holding protest outside the venue of BJP's National Executive meet
• Congress workers protesting over black money issue are flashing bogus cheques of Rs 15 lakhs – the number is symbolic as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said, in the run-up to Lok Sabha polls last year, that after black money stashed abroad is brought back, every Indian would get the same amount in his bank account
• Congress workers are now protesting over black money issue outside the venue of BJP's National Executive meeting in Bengaluru
• BJP's National Executive a brainwashing session as members coming from rural belt feel party's policy on land acquisition is anti-farmers, says Congress leader PC Chacko. “We've heard, they have prepared a presentation to brainwash NE members as majority of them are unwilling,” Chacko adds
• Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has meanwhile returned to Delhi after he suffered a fracture in his hand last evening
• Issues on agenda of the BJP National Executive meet – Strategising on Land Acquisition Bill; expanding base in the country, especially in southern states; involving workers in the Clean India and Clean Ganga campaigns; strategising for Bihar Assembly polls, etc
• Also present at the meeting are senior leaders LK Advani, MM Joshi, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Manohar Parrikar
• Sources say contrary to reports party veteran LK Advani will deliver his valedictory address
• The BJP's National Executive meeting has begun in Bengaluru  
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and other party leaders have arrived at the venue of the National Executive meeting
• The BJP's National Executive meet will begin shortly in Bengaluru
• PM said this strength has to be used not just for building up the party but also for nation-building activities like swachhata abhiyan - Rao
• The National Executive holds great significance as BJP emerged as the largest party. PM Narendra Modi yesterday congratulated Amit Shah ji and party workers, says spokesperson GVLN Rao

The story

Bharatiya Janata Party's two-day national executive meet begins in the Karnataka capital on Friday, but all eyes will be on party doyen LK Advani whose name doesn't feature among the list of speakers at the event, sources said.

However, Law Minister DV Sadananda Gowda confirmed that Advani will attend the meet.

"Advani ji will come here on Friday. He is a national executive member, not an office bearer so he will come only tomorrow," he said.

Evading a direct reply to the question, party spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said "the party has the guidance of all senior leaders".

Despite repeated questions, the BJP leader refused to say whether or not Advani would deliver a speech.

Advani, one of BJP's main founding members and tallest leaders, has attended and addressed at all national executive meetings of the party since 1980 when the party was founded, except one exception.

During the last meet in Goa when Narendra Modi was named the head of the party's campaign committee in Lok Sabha polls, not only did Advani skip the event but also sent a letter resigning from all posts of the party.

His differences with the party's decision were later reconciled and he took back his resignation. After that, Advani, more than once, has congratulated Modi for leading the BJP to victory in general elections.

According to party sources, this time Advani, a three-time BJP president, is not keen on addressing the party's national executive meet.

Sources added that organisation secretary of the party Ramlal met Advani in Delhi days before the meet over the issue. But it was not clear if Advani will speak at the forum.

Advani, along with Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Murli Manohar Joshi, is a part of a 'Margdarshak Mandal', or the party's guiding committee which includes Narendra Modi and Rajnath Singh.

The three veterans have already been eased out of BJP's parliamentary board, the highest decision-making body of the party.

The guiding committee, however, has not held a single meet since being set up last August.

In its national executive meet on Friday and Saturday, the BJP will focus on expanding its base in the country, especially among states of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha where it is weak.

BJP leaders are also likely to discuss how to involve workers in the Clean India and Clean Ganga campaigns.

The meeting, which is likely to be the last one before the Bihar assembly polls, is also expected to focus on the state elections.

Also featuring on the agenda will be BJP's poor performance in Delhi, upcoming state polls and the party's membership drive.

(With Agency inputs)