NEW DELHI: With and eye on the big poll battle, the BJP’s central leadership held a meeting of its chief ministers and deputy CMs on Wednesday here. Sources said that deliberation on a ‘One Nation-One Election’ was among the main priorities in the meeting.
Fast implementation of pro-poor social sector schemes and strengthening local units of the party as only one year has left for the government before the upcoming Lok Sabha polls were also discussed.
PM Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah held discussions on many issues, including progress of projects and Garib Kalyan schemes run by the Centre and states. Chalking out a strategy to implement the flagship Modicare—the new health insurance scheme—in states was on the agenda.
The meeting was unique in the sense that for the first time CMs and Deputy CMs met at the new party headquarters in New Delhi.
Some senior Union ministers—including Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari—were present in the meeting, which went on till the late evening.
The BJP is currently ruling in 14 states, besides being a coalition partner in Bihar and Jammu & Kashmir, where it has its Deputy CMs. The newest to join the list of BJP CMs is Jairam Thakur of Himachal Pradesh.
“The CMs said they are committed to implement schemes in their states. Some made presentations on the progress of these schemes,” said a BJP leader.
With just a year left for Lok Sabha polls, CMs were also asked to strengthen the party units at booth levels and create ‘Shakti Kendras’ and appoint of ‘Panna Pramukhs’. They were also told to focus on seats which the BJP lost in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
A party source said all CMs agreed on simultaneous polls. A three-page note on One Nation-One Election has been given to the CMs asking to form committees under the leadership of a senior leader either from government or organisation so that the issue can gain momentum in public discourse.