The results of 2017 Goa Assembly elections will lay the foundation of party's victory in the 2019 general elections, BJP president Amit Shah said today.
"2017 is very important for the party. There are elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur and Goa. Through these elections we want to bring transformation in the country ... We should be in power from panchayat to Parliament," Shah said.
He was addressing a gathering of booth-level BJP workers near Panaji, kicking off the party's campaign for Assembly.
"Results of Goa Assembly elections will lay foundation for party's victory in 2019 Lok Sabha elections under the leadership of Narendra Modi," he said.
"If we win all the states in 2017, then no one can stop BJP's victory in 2019 elections," he said.
Shah expressed confidence that BJP on its own will win 27 seats (out of total 40) in Goa Assembly elections.
"Congress has lost in all the states in the recent past. Now they are eyeing Goa ... How will they win in Goa after losing in all the states," the BJP president said, alleging that corruption to the tune of "Rs 12 lakh crore" took place during the Congress regime.
Responding to former union minister Kamal Nath's criticism of the Prime Minister Modi's foreign visits, Shah referred to Modi's predecessor Manmohan Singh as "Maunibaba".
"Even Maunibaba used to visit the foreign countries, but no one knew about them, not even the countries he was visiting. But when Modi travels abroad, thousands of people wait to receive him. The reception is not for Modi alone, it is for the BJP and citizens of this country," Shah said.
"When Modi addressed the UN in Hindi, the country was proud of it," he said.
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Meanwhile, Shah apologised to the party workers for not being able to meet them at the Goa airport as he was "pushed into the vehicle by security officers".
"The security officers push me just the way they push you all (workers). They kept on pushing me and took me to the vehicle and made me sit and we went from there," Shah said referring to the incident at the Goa Airport when he arrived.
"I know a few of you had come to meet me at the airport. I wanted to talk to you. But could not do so. I apologise to you for that," said the BJP chief.
"I would commend the Goa party organisation for building such a mass base of booth level workers who have arrived here. The foundation and strength of BJP is in booth level workers," he added.
