BJP chief JP Nadda says party prioritises workers above families in polls; pans Congress

Ahead of the forthcoming Madhya Pradesh urban local body elections, BJP national president JP Nadda hailed the performance of the state government led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Nadda, who arrived in Madhya Pradesh, attended a meeting of the BJP working committee on Wednesday. Addressing the party gathering, Nadda said the party's parliamentary board will decide on the vision forward in view of the 2023 state elections.

Speaking ahead of the local polls, BJP chief JP Nadda on Wednesday slammed the issue of “dynastic politics” and stated that the BJP will prioritise its workers over the families of leaders. Taking a dig at the Congress party, Nadda said that the BJP is against the politics of dynasty. "We will encourage ministers and lawmakers' families to work for strengthening the party, but workers will get preference for representation in polls," Nadda said.

"In Uttar Pradesh, the children of many lawmakers were competent. Similar may be the case in Madhya Pradesh. But we have to follow a policy and the pain it will give is obvious. Ultimately, we have to maintain our party's internal democracy," the BJP chief said while addressing the meeting in Bhopal. "We're working on an issue which is contrary to the long-standing political culture and practice of the country. We are against politics of dynasty,” he said, while adding that no worker would want to work for a dynastic party.

“If we don't do it, which worker will want to work for the party when it is to be run by some families only? It's a matter of the following policy. Many times, surgeries will have to be done and Dettol will also need to be applied to address the wound. The policy cost us a few seats in the Madhya Pradesh bypolls, but still, we stuck to ticket for workers only,” the BJP chief added. He went on to claim that the BJP stuck to the policy of fielding workers and not our politicians' children or family members in the last two-three bypolls in Madhya Pradesh. “We stuck to the policy and will do it in future too," Nadda said.

'Congress is a party of bhai-behen': Nadda

Furthermore, Nadda also spoke about the Enforcement Directorate's notice to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and MP Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case and said that the opposition party was no longer an ‘Indian’ party. Slamming the Congress, Nadda said that it was a family run party. “The Congress is no longer Indian, nor is it national, neither is it Congress anymore. It's a party of bhai-behen," he said.

"Rahul Gandhi doesn't speak anything on Indian soil as no one wants to hear him here. Let him travel wherever he wants to abroad and say whatever he wants in London, Birmingham or Nepal. He is free to go wherever he wants internationally, as we live in a democracy," the BJP chief further added while slamming the Wayanad MP. The MP urban local body polls will be held in two phases starting July 6. The elections will be held in Alirajpur, Mandla and Dindori districts after the term of the local bodies ends.

(With PTI inputs)

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