Happy with BJP's expansion: Amit Shah

NEW DELHI: Undeterred by the opposition's onslaught, BJP's two-day national meet commenced on a confident note on Sunday with party president Amit Shah expressing satisfaction over the organisation's expansion.

He reviewed the party's performance and its activities and held deliberations with national office-bearers on the agenda for the national executive on Monday.

"Sangathan me utsah ka mahol bana hai (there is enthusiasm among party cadres)," general secretary Bhupendra Yadav said, claiming that four lakh volunteers had pledged to work fulltime for the party for 15 days.

Shah held a meeting with office-bearers, state chiefs and key organisational leaders to finalise the agenda items, including resolutions, which the national executive is expected to discuss on Monday, the birth anniversary of Hindutva icon Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, whose birth centenary celebrations had started from Kozhikode last year and will conclude on Monday.

"It was also decided to take forward PM Modi's 'Swachh Bharat' mission and the resolve to establish a 'New India' and make them a success," Yadav said. He said BJP workers' morale was high after Shah's nationwide tours and 18 states had party governments. He shared details of Shah's tours and said the party chief travelled 50,000km and interacted with 18,000 workers across the country. "Amit Shah held 309 organisational meetings and 176 smaller programmes, and interacted with 18,000 intellectuals across the country," Yadav said.

The national executive will be the first televised meeting of the party in which all BJP lawmakers will be in attendance.

Although questions have been raised about the state of the economy, the party is likely to assert its contribution towards strengthening the economy, claiming that GST rollout was expected to impact the economy in the initial months.

According to party members, BJP CMs, deputy CMs, 1,400 MLAs, 85 members of legislative councils, 280 ministers and 336 MPs will attend. This is first time that lawmakers will attend the executive meet.

The meeting is significant as it is the last national meet of BJP before assembly polls in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh for which the party has already initiated the exercise of appointing Union ministers as poll in-charges.

Political and economic resolutions are set to be passed in the national executive meet. Sources said Vinay Sahasrabuddhe and Ram Madhav have been assigned to prepare the resolutions. The economic resolution is likely to focus on demonetisation and GST. The issue of the Rohingya, whom the Centre has termed a threat to national security, is likely to find a mention in the resolution.