Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday revealed his election mantra to win the 2024 parliamentary elections despite the incumbency factor during a meeting of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs in Parliament House.
Speaking ahead of the start of parliament's budget session, the Indian leader told BJP lawmakers to connect with the electorate and said that if they do so, then "there will be no anti-incumbency."
"Party MPs should go to their constituencies and stay connected with the public," Modi said.
On February 1, the Modi-led federal government announced its last full-fledged budget for 2023-2024. Next year's budget will be an interim one, considering it will be unveiled mere months ahead of the next parliamentary elections in the country.
Talking about the latest budget, Modi asserted that "no one has the courage to term it a 'chunavi' Budget (a polls-driven budget). The poor and marginalized were the focus of the budget."
This wasn't the first time in recent weeks that Modi, the top BJP leader and prime minister, has stressed the need to reach out to voters.
At last month's conclave of the BJP National Executive, Modi asked party workers to prepare for the Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament) polls. "We have 400 days (until the big Lok Sabha elections) and we have to do everything to serve the people. We have to create history."
He also urged BJP members to connect with all sections of society regardless of their individual political affiliations. "The BJP is no longer merely a political movement but a social movement as well that is working to transform socio-economic conditions," he added.
Will Modi Repeat Nehru's Feat?
Modi will make history if his party returns to power next year: if the BJP accomplishes a third consecutive victory in 2024, Modi will become the second Indian leader to win three back-to-back parliamentary polls in the country.
Congress icon and India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru achieved the feat, triumphing in the 1952, 1957, and 1962 elections.
Under Modi, the BJP formed the federal government in 2014 by becoming the first party to achieve a parliamentary majority in over three decades, before stomping to a second term in 2019 by capturing 303 seats in the 543-member house.
Congress icon and India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru achieved the feat, triumphing in the 1952, 1957, and 1962 elections.
Under Modi, the BJP formed the federal government in 2014 by becoming the first party to achieve a parliamentary majority in over three decades, before stomping to a second term in 2019 by capturing 303 seats in the 543-member house.