BJP president Nitin Gadkari in Imphal

State BJP leaders receives National President  Nitin Gadkari.

IMPHAL, August 23: The National President of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Nitin Gadkari and a host of other party leaders arrived in Imphal today.

Addressing party supporters during a reception of some prominent politicians who had joined the party at the MFDC auditorium today, Gadkari said the party committed to bring a socio-economic transformation in the state.

He said, “The motivation of the party is to work for the country, for the poor people and the society.”

In an inherent bid to attract more supporters in the state, he assured that the party will definitely take up the issue of student Md Mohamad Sharif Ahmad in Parliament. Manipuri student Sharif Ahmad was killed while travelling to Bangalore.

Expressing that the party feels pain with what is happening to the people of the NE region at other places of the country, he continued that it is the sole duty of the Indian government to provide security to the people of the NE region.

He said, “The attacks in some parts of the country on people from the North East is unfortunate and seemed to be perpetrated by illegal migrants living in the country. There is a foreign hand in this”.

He pointed out that nothing has been done to ensure the safe return of Kashmiri Hindus by the UPA government.

“Now the North-eastern brothers and sisters are facing the worst time in their life under the UPA regime.”

Pointing out that the Assam issue is not religious or communal but that of India against outsiders, he said it will be a matter of shame for Indians if any other fellow Indian is forced to leave their places of stay and studies under threat from anti-national elements.

Coming back to the infrastructure available in the state, Nitin Gadkari said, “65 years have been completed since we gain Independence, however we are still talking about the non-availability of drinking water, electricity, deplorable condition of roads, highways, etc”.

He continued that once the BJP comes to power, the party will ensure availability of good roads, drinking waters and electricity for the people.

He said the party will fight against poverty.

Meanwhile, confiding that BJP has been working hard to ensure election of at least 200 BJP MPs in the Lok Sabha elections likely to be held in 2014, Chandrasekhar Rao said that BJP would focus on Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh even though the party may field its candidates in all the North Eastern States.

The new entrants to the party include among others former MPP advisor Thounaojam Chaoba,former MPP general secretary Robin Blakie, NCP vice-president Sorokhaibam Rajen of Lamsang, Th Nandakishore and O Malesh Singh, who contested the 10th Assembly Election on CPI ticket among others.

The ceremony was also attended by BJP MP from Assam Vijaya Chakravorty, North East incharge general secretary Tapir Gao, and state president Shantikumar.