With eye on polls, Modi reviews schemes with BJP CMs

Preparing for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took stock of the implementation of the various welfare schemes with Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers of 15 states, who took a pledge to ensure that he comes back to power with a bigger majority in Parliament.

In a day-long meeting of the BJP Chief Ministers' Council here at the party headquarters, chaired by President Amit Shah, the Chief Ministers said the party will face the people in the next Lok Sabha polls on the issues of the implementation of the development programmes it has initiated and also on the promises it made in the 2014 election manifesto.

"The Prime Minister took stock of the work done by the states and also discussed the situation in the states in the wake of the Center's initiative on higher MSP (minimum support price) for farmers, passage of OBC Commission Bill giving it a constitutional status, restoration of provisions of SC/ST Act, the National Register of Citizens in Assam and the Citizens Amendment Bill," Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh told a press conference.

"We resolved that the BJP, under Narendra Modi, will form a majority government again in 2019 by increasing its Lok Sabha tally of 2014," he said, adding they were confident of winning the Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

Taking a dig at the Congress for its plans to form a grand alliance with regional parties to defeat Modi in 2014, Singh said that it was too early to comment as they have not yet decided their leader.

"They have not yet decided the criteria for selection of the Prime Ministerial candidate. One party says the candidate will be of the party that wins maximum seats while other says that the candidate would be of the largest party. I think they won't be able to decide the issue till the elections. It is only Narendra Modi who will be the Prime Minister in 2019," he said.

He said how the pace of implementation of Centre's schemes like Ujjawal, Saubhagya, Aawas, Swachha Bharat and others need to be increased was also discussed at the meet.

Singh said the Prime Minister and the BJP President gave valuable suggestions to the Chief Ministers of the three party-ruled states on winning the coming elections. The Chief Ministers presented a report on the situation in their states.

The meeting also discussed plans to reach out to the beneficiaries of the Centre's welfare schemes.

The BJP has 15 Chief Ministers and seven Deputy Chief Ministers -- two in Uttar Pradesh and one each in Gujarat, Bihar, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura.

The Council meeting has been an annual affair since 2014.

--IANS

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