Govt, party should be on same page: Modi

Asks BJP general secys not to ignore workers, prepare for Assembly polls.

BJP general secretary in-charge of Maharashtra Rajiv Pratap Rudy after the meeting with Modi at his residence, Saturday.

Signalling that the party organisation will not be ignored while the BJP is in power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday told party general secretaries that he remains a “party worker” and called for “understanding” between the party and the government to ensure there is no visible gap between the two. He also said that the organisation should be battle ready for the Assembly elections later this year and next year.

In the evening, party president Rajnath Singh along with senior leaders Arun Jaitley and Nitin Gadkari also met the PM. While party leaders remained tight-lipped about the deliberations, sources said the meeting was part of deliberations within the party over the next party president and the organisational changes required with several leaders moving into the government. Issues related to the forthcoming Parliament session were also learnt to have been discussed.

At the meeting with party general secretaries at his residence, Modi said, “I should be considered a party worker and not the PM only.” He is learnt to have called for an understanding between the party and the government. “He suggested there should be mutual understanding between the organisation and the government at all levels,” said a party leader.

Modi was learnt to have favoured evolving a mechanism to keep the party organisation and government on the same page and indicated that he will keep meeting general secretaries regularly.

Party sources said Modi emphasised on ensuring that the party workers who toiled during the elections should not get disenchanted as they are the party’s backbone and will play a crucial role in communicating government’s message to the electorate. “His emphasis was to make us realise about the symbiotic relationship between the BJP government and BJP organisation,” a source said.

The meeting appeared to have inspired party leaders. “Inspired by motivational msg from Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji, at a meeting with party GS, to serve party and nation with renewed vigour,” tweeted party general secretary Varun Gandhi after the meeting.

Modi also discussed the upcoming Assembly elections. “Coming assembly elections-Deendayalji centenary 2015-16 plan by d party, utilising youth volunteers for party among few subjects discussed,” tweeted party general secretary Murlidhar Rao.

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The party will face elections in Maharashtra and Haryana this year and Jharkhand, J&K and Bihar in 2015.

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