Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 26: BJP president Amit Shah will review performance of PDP-BJP coalition Government headed by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti during his three-day visit to Jammu from April 29 to May 1, which is his first to the militancy-infested State after formation of the first-ever party Government in Jammu and Kashmir. He will review performance of all 11 Ministers of the party and State office bearers at a series of meetings listed during his visit here.
Apart from various party meetings, Amit Shah will also inter-act with all Ministers, MLAs, Intellectuals, trade representatives, prominent citizens etc to elicit their opinion on working of the Government, prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir and steps required to develop the State further by restoring peace and normalcy in the Valley.
From New Delhi, Shah will be accompanied by Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh, BJP national general secretary (Incharge Organizations) Ram Lal and another party general secretary Dr Anil Jain.
Party sources told the Excelsior that instead of initial schedule of returning to New Delhi on April 30, the BJP president has decided to give two full days to Jammu on April 29 and 30 holding series of meetings and would return to New Delhi in the morning of May 1. Shah had addressed couple of rallies during Assembly elections in the State in November-December 2014 and this is his first visit to the State after formation of the PDP-BJP coalition Government.
Sources said Shah and senior party leaders accompanying him will review working and performance of PDP-BJP coalition Government especially the performance of 11 party Ministers as the Government has now completed nearly two years in the office. Shah would take feedback on working of the Government, its performance and achievements with particular reference to party Ministers. A Union Minister has already complained against working of one of the Cabinet Ministers of the BJP for raising hurdles in infrastructure development in the State through his Ministry.
Sources said situation in Jammu and Kashmir and steps being taken by the PDP-BJP Government to restore normalcy in the Valley will also be discussed by the party president with senior BJP functionaries including the Ministers and legislators.
Amit Shah would address meeting of the party functionaries as his first function on April 29 at Jammu Convention Centre. The same day, he will meet prominent citizens, legislators and Ministers of the party and preside over Core Group meeting in the night. He will take report card of the party’s Ministers.
On April 30, he would meet leaders of different wings of the party at BJP’s Trikuta Nagar office, representatives of trade bodies including Chamber of Commerce, address and listen to the views of Intellectuals and inaugurate newly set up Library at the party headquarters.
He will also have separate meeting with office bearers of the party and review steps taken by the State unit to strengthen and expand base of the party in all three regions of the State including Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
Besides Ministers and MLAs, he will also meet party’s Members of Parliament (MPs). BJP has four MPs in Jammu and Kashmir including three Lok Sabha members and one Rajya Sabha.
Asserting that first three-day visit of Amit Shah to Jammu after formation of PDP-BJP Government in the State was very significant, sources said it has assumed more importance as it comes close on the heels of certain reports with the party high command that party’s base has shrunk instead of expansion after formation of the party Government in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources said Amit Shah, who is known for his strategy and planning for expansion of the party’s base, could call upon the party leadership, Ministers and legislators etc to work for the people and the cadre to strengthen party base in all three regions of the State. In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, which are now less than two years away, the BJP wants to repeated its 2014 performance in Lok Sabha by winning both seats of Jammu region and lone seat of Ladakh.
In Kolkata, Amit Shah said his party would deliberate upon Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s proposal for counselling of youths caught in the vortex of violence in the State.
“Mehboobaji has given a press statement. Our party’s team which deals with our policies on Kashmir will sit together and discuss the issue,” Shah said during a press conference here, while referring to the J&K CM’s proposal to counsel youths.
Asked about his party’s stand on the issue, Shah said, “The team, after discussing the issue, will come to me and then we will take a decision,” he said.
The worsening security situation in Kashmir was discussed at Srinagar yesterday at a high-level meeting where Mehbooba directed the forces to exercise restraint and advocated a “healing touch” towards “our own youth” caught in the cycle of violence.
Advocating counselling sessions for the youth, Mehbooba said it would not only help allay their fears and misgivings about the system, but would also give the security agencies a chance to reach out to the people through community policing.
Asked if the Central Government’s premise that demonetisation would help curb terrorism and Naxalite activities has taken a hit following the recent attack in Sukma, Shah said, “One incident does not go on to prove that a policy is wrong. The morale of Naxalites is very low and they are a broken lot now.”
“Ultra-Left extremism flourished during the Congress rule. The BJP-led Governments at the Centre and various States have broken their backs,” he said.
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