Goa polls: All political parties except BJP have become 'family parties', says J P Nadda

Panaji, Feb 08: All parties from ''north to south'' in India have become ''family parties'' and the Congress has turned into ''Indian family party'', BJP president J P Nadda said on Tuesday canvassing for the February 14 Goa Assembly elections. Addressing a public meeting at Fatorda in south Goa, Nadda said, unlike other parties BJP thinks about the nation first and has a strong ideological base.

''All political parties from north to south have become family parties while the Indian National Congress has turned into 'Indian Family Party'. The BJP is the only political party which takes everyone along," Nadda said.

He also said that all political parties except BJP lacked leaders, workers and the intention to work. "BJP is the party which has an ideology, 'uddesh' (intention) and follows policy. The BJP is the biggest political party in the world which is growing due to its workers. The BJP follows its core principles and policies with the nation at its heart,'' he said.

Nadda said the BJP, which heads the Goa government, is working full steam under the leadership of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. "I remember late Manohar Parrikar-ji (BJP stalwart and former chief minister of Goa) giving a slogan of 'josh' (enthusiasm) to BJP workers. Pramod Sawant has kept that josh alive even in the absence of Parrikar," he said.

Nadda said that Goa has witnessed a sea change in the development of infrastructure under the BJP government. He recalled how people in Goa used to cross rivers in boats to reach their destinations. Goa now has a network of bridges, Nadda added.

He said that the BJP government will channelise the potential of self-sustaining Goa to make it a leading state in the country.

''Goa has become a top destination on the law and order front (sic). There was a time when Goa used to be the hotbed of mafias and criminals. Now, the state is criminal-free and tops in crime detection rate," Nadda added.

Apart from the traditional rival Congress, the BJP is facing Trinammol Congress (TMC), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and former allies-turned-foes Goa Forward Party (GFP) and Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party (MGP), besides Shiv Sena and NCP in the multi-cornered electoral contest for the 40-member House.