BJP chief Amit Shah Saturday asked party workers not to lose hope due to adverse results in recent Assembly elections in the three states, saying the upcoming parliamentary polls were "very important" for the party.

He also asked all party workers to ensure that the votes of their families and friends are cast by 10.30 AM on the polling day.

He mounted an attack on the Congress, saying the "cancer" of casteism, nepotism and appeasement policy was its contribution, which, he said "weakened the democracy and halted development".

"In the elections in the three states (Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh) our opponents won but we were not defeated. The results were not good but we have not lost our ground. The workers need not lose their hope," he said in his address at the BJP's national convention at Ramlila Ground here.

The BJP lost power to the Congress in the three Hindi heartland states in assembly polls held recently.

The meaning of "defeat" is reflected by the Congress which has vanished from states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, he said.

"Lok Sabha elections are very important for us. If we manage a massive victory, the BJP will rule the country from Panchayat to Parliament for a long time," he said.

He asked his party workers to ensure that every voter is contacted in an intensive campaign for the elections.

Shah asked them to go back to their respective states with a pledge to ensure BJP's victory in the parliamentary elections and make Narendra Modi prime minister for a second term.

First Published:Jan 12, 2019 3:29 PM IST