PM, Shah set to meet CMs...

simultaneously as otherwise the country is perpetually in election mode.

Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan are the three BJP- ruled states where elections are due by the end of this year. Before these states, Congressruled Karnataka also faces Assembly polls, for which the schedule will be announced by the Election Commission in April.

The Prime Minister has on several occasions emphasised the need for simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies and this was also highlighted by President Ram Nath Kovind in his address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament.

Wednesday’s meeting could also see the party top brass taking up the flagship National Health Protection Scheme, which was announced in the Union Budget and is being termed as “Modicare”.

A statement by the BJP said the “pro- poor” policies of the Centre and BJP and NDA- ruled states will be reviewed. It also said the meeting will discuss ways to provide maximum benefits to the poor, farmers, dalits, tribals, youth and women from the policies and programmes of the Central and state governments. The BJP, along with its allies, is in power in 19 states now. The party is also confident of ending the over two- decade- long Left rule in Tripura, which went to the polls earlier this month. The BJP leadership had aggressively campaigned in this northeastern state, whose poll results will be declared on March 3. The results of the Assembly polls in Meghalaya and Nagaland, which took place on Tuesday, will also be declared on March 3.