Somnath, Apr 23 (PTI): BJP president Amit Shah today told the party workers to aim at not just retaining power but "stunning" the Congress by securing a three-fourths majority in the Gujarat Assembly polls, due later this year.

Addressing the party workers on the second and last day of the BJP state executive meet here, he urged them to "root out" the Congress even at the booth-level.

"Since 2014 (when the NDA formed the government at the Centre), support for BJP has only grown across the country. Even the description of a massive victory has changed. Now, a huge victory is not just a two-thirds majority but a three- fourths majority," a release quoted Shah as saying.

"Our aim is not to form the government alone, but stun the opposition with the numbers. Not to defeat the opposition, but root them out," the BJP chief said.

He asked the party workers to take the welfare programmes of the Centre and the state government to the poor people, farmers and women.

"Shah told the party workers that the BJP had won 120 seats when Narendra Modi was the chief minister (of Gujarat). Now that he is the prime minister, the party should get more than 150 seats," BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya said while briefing the media after the meeting.

The BJP has set a target of winning at least 150 of the 182 Assembly seats in Gujarat as it considers the election a prestige battle ahead of the 2019 general elections.

"I am confident that the party will win over 150 seats. It is time to root out the Congress even at the booth-level everywhere," Pandya said quoting the BJP chief.
Shah also asked the party workers to spread the message among the people that the BJP was no longer an urban-centric party but it worked for every Indian, including the poor.

He said the party was passing through a "golden phase" with 1,385 MLAs across the country and governments in 17 states with its allies, the release added.
Shah also said India had regained its confidence ever since the Modi government came to power.

"Under the UPA regime, India was ranked low in the global rankings and the economy was stagnant. Every minister considered himself the prime minister, while the prime minister himself kept a low profile. The youth felt hopeless, women unsafe. Things have changed since 2014," the release quoted Shah as saying.

Pandya said resolutions thanking the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the state for the works they had carried out were adopted on the last day of the meet.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani listed out the achievements of his government, while Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel told the party workers about the Goods and Services Tax (GST), said Pandya.