Asserting that his party stands for cultural nationalism and development of poor, BJP president Amit Shah on Friday said that the Lok Sabha elections will be a battle of two ideologies and that the rivals have come together merely for power.
In his inaugural address at the party's convention at Ramlila Maidan, Shah said the opposition's grand alliance, which he added has no policy and programme, enjoyed no nationwide influence.
The BJP had defeated each one of them in the 2014 general elections, he added.
Shah said his party will win more Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh than it did in 2014. The Bharatiya Janata Party had won 71 seats from the state that sends 80 Lok Sabha MPs to the lower house.
Top party leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were present at the convention.
Earlier during his address, Shah said the Modi government has "fulfilled" the dreams of crores of youths with 10 per cent reservation in jobs and education for the general category poor, and described the constitution amendment bill as one of the most important legislations passed by Parliament.
This is one of the most important legislations Parliament has passed, he said.
With top party leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, present at the dais and close to 12,000 delegates present, Shah also hailed the GST Council's decision to double the limit for exemption from payment of goods and services tax (GST) to Rs 40 lakh.
The Modi government has taken two big decisions in a week, Shah said.
In a "massive relief" to small businesses, the GST Council Thursday doubled the limit for exemption from payment of GST to Rs 40 lakh and announced that the higher turnover cap of Rs 1.5 crore for availing composition scheme of paying 1 per cent tax will be effective from April 1.
PTI
