At BJP HQ in Delhi, Narendra Modi gets a hero’s welcome amid ‘PM’ chants

A day after taking oath as the Gujarat chief minister for the fourth time in a row, Narendra Modi got a rousing welcome at the BJP headquarters Thursday by a huge crowd of supporters amid chants of "Modi for PM".

In the national capital to attend the National Development Council (NDC) meeting, Modi was felicitated by party president Nitin Gadkari at the BJP headquarters here.

The crowd, consisting mostly of party workers from Delhi and Haryana, made it clear Modi was their hero, forcing Gadkari into the shadows.

In his thanksgiving speech, Modi said he had never thought he would be welcomed in the party office with such warmth and respect.

"There is a special reason for this. I have spent some very important years of my life at the party headquarters (11, Ashoka Road) in a small kholi (room)," Modi said, recounting his days as one of the less significant workers of the party.

Old-timers pointed out it was after several years that such an enthusiastic crowd, estimated to be around 1,500, had gathered at the party headquarters.

The workers shouted "PM, PM" when Modi made his speech.

The CM himself did little to camouflage his ambitions, saying he would work hard to shoulder any responsibility that the party gives him.

"As a BJP worker, whatever responsibility is given to me by the party, I will fulfill them. In the past, whatever responsibilities have been given to me, I have shouldered them with full dedication."

At least four times in his speech, Modi reminded the party leadership of his performance. "As a party worker, I have come to share my performance report . During the 12 years of rule (in Gujarat), I have tried to execute whatever responsibility was entrusted to me by the BJP. The electorate of Gujarat has given its stamp on it," he said.

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