Fully backing the State Government running under the leadership of Chief Minister Raghubar Das in Jharkhand, BJP's national spokesperson Sambit Patra acclaimed it for its progressive policies and steps taken.
Patra, who is touring the State ahead of party's national president Amit Shah's visit scheduled for Wednesday this week, was addressing a press conference on Sunday where he also praised anti-poverty measures taken by the Modi Government at the Center.
"Meaning of MSP has changed under the Modi Government. Now it stands for 'maximum support for poor'. The Government has proved this in recent unprecedented hike done into the support prices for kharif crops. Congress for 40 years starting from Indira Gandhi to Rahul Gandhi did nothing for eradication of poverty. Whereas international research has recently stated that poverty in India is coming down. Every minute 44 Indians are coming out of poverty. Similar is here in Jharkhand under Raghubar Das who has pulled out the State from the league of BIMARU states," said the leader.
He quoted standing of the State in terms of the country's growing economies and said that Jharkhand has secure second rank after Gujarat. "It is not a mean achievement for Jharkhand to stand next to Gujarat. The Government and people of the State need to be congratulated for this. Jharkhand is among the top States from once a BIMARU State," maintained Patra who also met Chief Minister Raghubar Das earlier in the day.
He also hit out the Opposition for anti-Modi rhetoric. "They are up for 'Modi roko' drive. But people of this country are also for 'Modi roko'. The earlier is to stop Narendra Modi from coming to power again while the latter is to stop Modi from going out of power. Majority of people across the country wants Modi ji to stay," added he.
Patra also lashed out JMM and its leader Hemant Soren for indulging into corrupt practices at the cost of Jharkhand.
"The Rao Government bought JMM MPs for power at the cost of the State. later they made an independent a chief minister but ran away with 'madhu' (honey) and left a tribal with legal 'koda' (flog)! I am told that Hemant Soren has purchased n-number of properties by violating CNT-SPT Acts everywhere in the State by depriving the poor and needy of their entitlements.
“That is why he is out of power and would remain so in future," said he.
The visit of Amit Shah is said to be crucial ahead of 2019 general elections which the BJP on the last occasion won convincingly by bagging 12 out of 14 seats. Shah is scheduled to hold meetings starting with BJP district presidents to all office bearers to stock of the tasks given to them.