BJP meeting

PM Modi and BJP president Amit Shah offered “valuable suggestions” to the respective chief ministers, said Singh, who was accompanied by Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu and BJP general secretary Bhupendra Yadav at the press conference.

Shah spoke about the Centre’s decision to increase minimum support prices (MSP) to ensure 50% profit to farmers over the cost of production, fulfil the long pending demand for a constitutional status to the OBC (other backward classes) commission and a bill to protect the right of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and said different sections of the society were directly impacted by these decisions. Farmers, many suffering from the results of an agrarian crisis mainly caused by bumper harvests and falling prices, people from the SCS and STS, who have politically mobilised in recent years to counter oppression, and other backward classes or OBCS are all key voter groups.

The BJP threw its weight behind the national register of citizens (NRC) in Assam, reiterating its commitment to deal with the menace of infiltrations from Bangladesh and other countries. Singh said the national citizenship bill will also protect the rights of the persecuted Hindus who are religious minorities in neighbouring countries.

Modi and Shah also took stock of the executive of the Centre’s welfare schemes, such as free LPG connection for poor families, in different states and sought suggestions for improvement in its implementation.

“The task to make country open defecation free, provide electricity connections to all households, and to give housing facilities and LPG cylinders are big assignments that the Modi government has taken. We discussed measures to improve their implementation,” Singh said.

Referring to Ayushman Bharat, popularly called Modicare, Singh said the Centre has announced a health coverage scheme for 500 million people and that the chief ministers and the PM discussed preparedness for its rollout. “The PM sought to know from the chief minister about the readiness of the state government, the availability of infrastructure and other such aspects about the Aayushman Bharat scheme,” he added.

The Oppn has not been able to finalise its leader. They will not be able to finalise it until the next elections. There is no vacancy for the prime minister’s post. We have resolved to return to power with a greater majority