Amit Shah directs ministers to tour districts

Mumbai: On Sunday, the president of BJP asked all the ministers in the state to visit the districts to overview the functioning of the party and prepare for 2019 elections.

A leader in the meetings, held by Mr. Shah with office bearers from both Goa and Maharashtra, said, “ The minister has to periodically visit the districts, and it should be dedicated to the party work. The minister must not interfere with the government work.”

CM of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis is given the responsibility to oversee the reports sent by the ministers and other operations. Mr. Shah has asked the ministers to conduct campaigns in their constituencies and spread the Centre's schemes and work of PM Modi.

The leader added that, “Instructions have been given to complete the formation of booth level committees by August 25 and Mr. Shah inquired about the progress on that front as well. Directions have been given to increase the outreach in areas where the party has not won.”

In the meantime, the Congress on the same day pasted posters and banners of Rahul Gandhi hugging the PM in the Lok Sabha with a message “Nafarat se nahi, pyaar se jitenge (we will win with love, not with enmity).

A senior BJP minister who participated in the meeting said, “The national president plainly stated that the strategy has to be implemented in all the Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in the state. At present, the BJP shares its political space with the Shiv Sena and a couple of smaller allies. It is a message that says 'prepare for contesting elections alone' we will have to rush as the general elections are now less than a year away.”

Later that night, Mr. Shah met singer Lata Mangeshkar in the party’s “Sampark Abhiyan”. They were supposed to meet on June 6 this year but it was cancelled as Ms. Mangeshkar was down with food poisoning.