BJP to highlight Narendra Modi govt's successes to take on oppositions

Accused by rivals of doing little for UP despite the state yielding a bumper electoral harvest for it in the Lok Sabha polls, BJP has come out with details of Modigovernment's "unprecedented" work there as it seeks to boost its campaign for the assembly polls due early next year.

The BJP has put together the Centre's work under heads like Prosperous Farmer, Empowering Villages, Poor, Youth and Women besides its New Initiatives ahead of its state executive meeting in Moradabad in the third week of July where the party will deliberate on its poll strategy.

UP's ruling Samajwadi Party has been attacking the central government for hardly doing anything for the state even though its voters elected BJP MPs from 71 out 80 Lok Sabha seats.

BJP claims that UP's share of central taxes will increase to Rs 7,10,966 crore during 2015-20 from Rs 2,80,467 crore in 2010-15 and the local bodies grant will touch Rs 46,026 crore against mere Rs 523 crore in the corresponding period.

The Centre has also electrified 1364 villages and given free electricity connection to 4.24 lakh BPL households.

Under the Prime Minister Mudra Yojna, banks have distributed loans of Rs 12,635 crore among 38 lakh people, it says.

Under the Jan Dhan yojna, 3.26 crore bank accounts were opened in the state and over one crore of them linked to Aadhaar number for transferring cash benefits.

It claims that 5.15 lakh and 6.94 lakh toilets were built there in 2014-15 and 2015-16 respectively with corresponding expenditure of Rs 238 crore and Rs 565 crore under Swachh Bharat Mission (rural).

The compilation also highlights selection of 13 and 61 places in the state under Smart City and Amrut projects besides hike in disaster response fund to help farmers.

As political temperature rises in the state, rival SP and BSP have accused the Modi government of doing little for the state, while BJP has sought to highlight the Modi government's credentials as a development oriented dispensation. 

will embark on a journey to four African nations from July 7-11. He will be visiting Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya in five days as his government steps up engagement with the continent with backto-back visits, starting with Vice President, then President and now PM, during the past one month. 

While the PM's trip to Mozambique may be a day-long (July 7), Modi has a packed schedule in Africa's biggest economy - South Africa (July 8-9) where he will cross-cross cities. His South Africa leg of the trip will be followed by visit to Tanzania (July 10) and end in Kenya (July 11). Such schedules are now common in Modi's foreign trips. 

Highlight of Modi's visit will be a short train journey in South Africa tracing the route taken by Mahatma Gandhi and two diaspora addresses in Johannesburg and Kenya besides energy deals, expanding maritime security and defence partnerships, sources hinted. Incidentally, all these four countries that the PM plans to visit have coasts that opens up to the Indian Ocean. Modi will also meet the diaspora in Durban, Maputo (Mozambique capital) and Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzanian capital). Over 8,000 member .. 

BJP world's largest political party with 8.8 crore members

BJP on Sunday claimed it has emerged as the largest party in the world with a membership strength of 8.8 crores, surpassing the Communist Party of China which has 8.6 crore members.
The party introduced a hi-tech system whereby a person can become a BJP member by merely dialing a mobile number. The party had set a target of enrolling 10 crore members across the country by March 31 but it fell short of its target.
According to BJP leaders, the membership of BJP has touched 8.8 crores as of Sunday night and it might surpass the 10-crore target set by party president Amit Shah.

The last one crore members were added in merely eight days when the party touched the 8-crore mark on 23 March.

The leaders say the party has the maximum members from Uttar Pradesh where the BJP is aiming at forming a government on its own after the 2017 assembly elections.