BJP Ministers’ meeting tomorrow
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 14: BJP top brass including party president Amit Shah today reviewed political situation of Jammu and Kashmir and roadmap for Lok Sabha elections at all State presidents and organizing secretaries’ meeting in New Delhi and called upon the State unit leaders to hold regular reviews of the party and Government working.
Apart from Amit Shah, BJP national organizing secretary Ram Lal also addressed the meeting of State presidents and organizing secretaries. Newly appointed J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina and organization secretary, Ashok Koul represented Jammu and Kashmir at the meeting.
After the State presidents and organizing secretaries’ meeting, Raina and Koul had meetings with Amit Shah, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, party’s pointman on J&K and Avinash Rai Khanna, separately in which the State leadership was directed to ensure transparency and accountability in the party as well as working of the Ministers.
In view of this, Raina has summoned meeting of all party Ministers on May 16 evening in Srinagar to send out the party high command’s message to them.
Insiders told the Excelsior that the BJP top brass reviewed party position State wise at the national level meeting and functioning of the Governments, where the party was in power, whether on its own or in alliance with other parties.
As far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, insiders said the BJP top brass was of the view that recent changes at the party level including reshuffle in the Council of Ministry and organization level should show results so that the party is in a position to perform well in next year’s Lok Sabha elections.
The BJP high command, according to sources, want the party to retain all three Lok Sabha seats the party had won in 2014 and, for the purpose, has directed the State unit leaders to start preparations immediately as only less than a year was now left for the Parliamentary polls.
“The high command told the State unit leaders that the BJP Ministers in the State Government had to perform exceptionally well and end the feeling of discrimination with Jammu and Ladakh regions, the core constituencies of the party from where the BJP had won all three Lok Sabha seats in 2014,’’ sources said, adding though the BJP high command wanted to improve its vote share in three seats of the Kashmir valley, it feels that it might not be in a position to win any of the Parliamentary seats there.
The State leadership should review working of the Government especially the party Ministers and suggest measures that can be taken to strengthen the party across the State especially Jammu and Ladakh regions, sources said, adding the party high command was confident that the BJP would be able to regain its lost ground in the next few months to face Parliamentary polls.
Sources said the BJP high command has decided to hold another review of the party working after three months. At the same time, it has asked the State unit leaders to regularly review party functioning and working of the Government, wherever it was in power, whether as a single party or in coalition with others.
Meanwhile, according to sources, the BJP has called upon its State unit leaders to direct the party Ministers to address the issues of party cadre and boost their working following reports that some of the cadre wasn’t satisfied earlier with working of the Ministers. They have asked the party to ensure that new Ministers pay adequate focus towards the party cadre and the people as this would serve the party’s interests.
Sources said the party high command has also issued set of guidelines to every State unit including Jammu and Kashmir for strengthening the party at booth level ahead of the Parliamentary polls. The high command has announced that it would hold meetings with State presidents and organizing secretaries after every three months to take feedbacks from them and take steps as suggested by the State unit leaders.
Sources pointed out that though the BJP has stakes only in three Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir out of a total of six, the party feels that its stand in Jammu and Kashmir could be watched by the people across the country and, therefore, performance of its Ministers and party functionaries should be up to the mark.
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