Fight polls on pro-poor plank, Modi tells party

Winning 370 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats in the upcoming general election will be a fitting tribute to the sacrifices made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ideologue and Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday, as he urged party members to build the BJP's Lok Sabha campaign around his government's development and pro-poor initiatives.

- Smriti Kak Ramachandran

The PM, who is aiming for a third term in office, was addressing a meeting of BJP office bearers at the start of the ruling party's two-day national convention.

Briefing the media about the PM's address, BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde said that PM told party members that the BJP's poll symbol-the lotus will represent its candidates on all 543 seats in the elections due this summer.

"...370 is not merely a number for the Bharatiya Janata Party. It symbolises a profound continued on sentiment. Syama Prasad Mookerjee made the ultimate sacrifice for the abrogation of Article 370, preserving our nation's unity and integrity. As a tribute, BJP aims to secure victory on 370 seats, each representing Mookerjee's legacy. We strive to secure 370 additional votes at every booth," the PM said.

Mookerjee led the campaign against the abrogation of Article 370 that gave the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir its special status. He was incarcerated in J&K where he died under what the BJP claims were mysterious circumstances.