'Stablity with continuity' was focus of PM's meeting with BJP

"Stability with continuity" in the BJP-ruled states was the thrust of a meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi held with 13 party chief ministers.
He also asked them to take the welfare schemes to the poor and financially empower them.
Modi, in the meeting yesterday, said that it is the responsibility of the governments in the BJP-ruled states to effect positive changes in people's lives with their work.
He said this following presentations by the chief ministers on a host of issues, including welfare schemes, feed back model and use of social media.
Noting that the central government will complete its three years in power next month, he said it is their primary duty to take the welfare schemes to the masses.

Party general secretary Bhupender Yadav told a press conference that political issues like deepening unrest in Kashmir or upcoming presidential elections did not come up for discussion as the meeting was focused on welfare schemes in the BJP-ruled states.

The meeting, which went on for over four hours, was attended by a number of Union ministers, including Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari and M Venkaiah Naidu besides five deputy chief ministers and party general secretary (organisation) Ram Lal.
The idea is to ensure "stability with continuity" in BJP governments, Yadav said, citing the examples of Gujarat, where the party has been in power for over 22 years except for a brief period when a rebel faction ruled, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, two states where it will complete 15 years in power next year.

BJP National President Amit Shah told the meeting the party-ruled states should give special emphasis on the execution of central welfare schemes.
He cited a number of schemes and developments, like 'Ujjwala Yojna', surgical strikes by the army, demonetisation and the launch of 'Bhim' app, to say these have helped the country and its people.
He asked the chief ministers to link people with welfare schemes, saying it will help expand the party.
Yadav said that Modi asked the chief ministers to adopt good programmes of other states and also use various schemes to the masses with effective use of the social media.

The party wants developmental issues at the centre of political agenda as it prepares for the next round of assembly polls and, most crucially, 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
At a similar exercise held last year, nine BJP chief ministers had assembled while 13 of them were there yesterday, Yadav said, highlighting the party's growing influence in the country.