NEW DELHI: On a day when the BJP showed canine astuteness to cobble up numbers to form governments in Goa and Manipur by taking recourse to almost all options, which included shuffling Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar from New Delhi to Panjim, Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked of a "New India" on the anvil after the scale of verdict in states' polls given by the people. While the Prime Minister spoke of "Sarvamat (consensus)" even while the BJP has been given "Bahumat (majority)", the party chief sought to translate his Saturday claim of forming government in four states with speed and astuteness which apparently caught the Opposition napping.
The Parliamentary Board meeting, which concluded late in the evening on Sunday, feted the Prime Minister and the party chief for "historical" victory of the saffron outfit in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, besides getting numbers to attempt forming government in Goa and Manipur. The meeting was preceded by a roadshow by the Prime Minister and an address to the party workers on the lawns of the 11, Ashoka Road BJP headquarter. Commending BJP's journey to the largest political outfit in the world, Modi recalled the contributions of former chiefs of the party -- Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L K Advani and Kushabhao Thakre.
Calling upon the political pundits to introspect apparently for having failed in anticipation of the verdict, Modi, while noting the dawn of a new India, stated that his government would seek to blend the talent and hard work of the poor with the aspirations of the middle class. While commending his government to development, Modi reiterated his vision for 2022. Noting that "we can make mistake, but our intentions are never wrong", the Prime Minister in a moment of apparent patting own back claimed that it was a "big honour when others ask, why do you work so much".
While the BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav and Assam minister Hemant Bisse Sharma spearheaded the campaign to wrest the power in Imphal with the BJP chief coordinated actions through phone, similar moves unfolded in Panji.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari took the go-ahead from the Prime Minister, Shah and the Parliament Board to shuffle Parrikar back to Panaji to lead a rainbow combination of smaller parties to form the government in Goa. Parrikar, sources said, would resign after getting the invitation from the Governor to form the government.
Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Board has designated Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu and party general secretary Bhupinder Yadav as Central observers for UP legislature party meeting on March 16 to elect leader, who would become the chief minister. Union minister. NS Tomar and senior party leader Saroj Pandey have been designated as observers for Uttarakhand. Union minister Piyush Goyal and party general secretary Vinay Sahashrabuddhe would be observers for Manipur, informed Union Minister JP Nadda late on Sunday night. The Parliamentary Board, Nadda said, has authorised the BJP chief to decide names of chief ministers for UP, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur.
The Parliamentary Board meeting was attended by Union ministers Rajnath Singh, M Venkaiah Naidu, Arun Jaitley, Ananth Kumar, besides senior leaders of the party.