Modi, Shah ask BJP RS members to strengthen party ahead of polls (Roundup)

In a move aimed to strengthen the party apparatus, both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah focused on the party's Rajya Sabha MPs on Wednesday with an eye on the next general elections.

While the Prime Minister asked the Rajya Sabha MPs to strengthen the party at grassroot level, talk about government's achievements in Parliament and be "active" on social media, Shah asked them to adopt a Lok Sabha parliamentary constituency in their states that the party lost in 2014 Lok Sabha elections and prepare themselves to win it in the next general elections.

The Prime Minister, according to Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, told the MPs in a meeting here that they are expected to study issues and raise the same in Parliament.

"You must raise issues concerning to your state (in the house) and bring more and more people, especially the poor, to the party," the minister quoted Modi as saying in a press conference at party headquarters in the national capital.

The minister said that Modi emphasised the fact that BJP is a party of workers, and it's they who have brought it to its present height.

The Prime Minister said that BJP has brought in young MPs in Rajya Sabha and expect them to be active among people of their states.

Modi has also asked all Rajya Sabha MPs to be active on social media, Prasad said, adding that he advised them to have "active profile" on social media sites.

Shah earlier inaugurated a meeting of the party's Rajya Sabha members at the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) convention centre.

"Amit Shah expects that all the Rajya Sabha members should select a parliamentary constituency where BJP lost in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. He should concentrate on that seat and campaign as if he is the LS member of that seat," Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar.

He also asked the party's Rajya Sabha members to hold organisational meetings in the selected constituency and work there to win it in next parliamentary elections.

"Shah also asked the Rajya Sabha members to reach out to people effectively so that they don't feel that there is no BJP Lok Sabha member in that particular constituency," Javadekar said, adding that the Rajya Sabha members are expected to do public work and to carry out party programmes to the last village.

Shah also urged the Rajya Sabha members to help out the local organisation so that the party could win that constituency next time.

The meeting has been convened to increase involvement of party's Rajya Sabha members in organisation and government, apart from the House activities.

The BJP, which has only 52 members in Rajya Sabha, is in minority in the upper house.

--IANS

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