PM Modi, Amit Shah to meet BJP CMs, dy CMs today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet chief ministers of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled states here on Tuesday to discuss plans about reaching out to beneficiaries of the government’s welfare schemes as part of efforts to ensure the party returns to power.
BJP president Amit Shah will also attend the day-long meetings along with deputy chief ministers of the National Demo- cratic Alliance (NDA)-ruled states.
The country’s political situation and general preparedness for the 2019 national election will also be discussed, three BJP functionaries said.
The BJP rules 15 states and has deputy chief ministers in four states, where it shares power with allies.
“Each of these states has been asked to submit block-wise details of the beneficiaries of the government schemes,” a BJP leader said on the condition of .
The BJP had secured 17.17 crore votes and won 282 out of the 428 Lok Sabha seats it had contested in 2014. It claims the government’s welfare schemes had benefitted about 22 crore people. The party has drawn a plan to reach out to each of them for support in the next election.
“The BJP has 11-crore plus members. If we can convert welfare schemes into voters, the BJP will return to power with a majority greater than 2014. The chief ministers’ conclave will discuss all these issues threadbare,” said another leader.
Each chief and deputy chief minister has been asked to come with a report.
“The Prime Minister and the party president will discuss these reports with the respective units and seek inputs on how to maximise BJP’s performance given certain challenges,” a third leader said.
The BJP faces challenges of unified opposition in states like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
The BJP had won 95 out of out of the 128 seats in the two states. The party’s problems have been compounded in Maharashtra,
NEW DELHI: SHAH HAD TOURED STATES BETWEEN JUNE AND JULY TO TAKE A STOCK OF THE CHALLENGES AND THE PARTY’S READINESS FOR THE LOK SABHA POLLS
where its long-time ally, the Shiv Sena, has announced it will contest the next parliamentary election separately.
In three election-bound states – Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan – the BJP faces a direct contest with the Congress.
The Congress is trying to expand its base in these states by allying with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
The BSP has pockets of support among the scheduled caste communities in these three states.
Chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan will brief Modi and Shah on how they plan to counter this challenge.
Shah had toured states between June and July to take a stock of the challenges and the party’s readiness for the Lok Sabha polls.
Amit Shah had then delegated assignments like the formation of booth committees in each state.
“The chief ministers have been asked to share progress achieved on these fronts,” the second leader said.