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Outlining a novel role for the BJP’s Rajya Sabha MPs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah on Tuesday asked them to nurse a Lok Sabha constituency that the BJP has lost, and also build an active social media profile to popularise the government’s achievements.
The Rajya Sabha MPs were briefed about their new role at the meeting, which also saw Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and party Organisation Secretary Ram Lal addressing the Elders. While Jaitley spoke on parliamentary procedure and on how to uplift the level of debate, Modi Shah focused attention on the MPs’ role in the expansion of the party organisation.
The MPs also attended a session on how they could boost their social media profile, and how they should use different apps to spread the PM’s message and the government’s achievements.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “The PM expects the Rajya Sabha MPs to participate in the expansion of the party. He said they should work towards strengthening the organisation in the States they represent and elsewhere where their participation is needed. He told the MPs to raise the issues of the States they represent.”
“The party president asked MPs adopt one Lok Sabha constituency where the party had lost in 2014 and nurse it as if they are the Lok Sabha members from there. It will help party win from there. He asked them to spend their MPLAD fund there and work in expanding the organisation. He said Rajya Sabha members should also work to spread the party’s base and ideology,” Education Minister Prakash Javadekar said.
Javadekar said the Rajya Sabha MPs, who include a number of top ministers including Jaitley, Naidu, Parrikar, besides himself, will adopt a constituency in the State they represent.
Asked what RS members from states like Gujarat and Rajasthan, where BJP had won all the Lok Sabha seats, would do, he said the party will find a way for utilising their services.
Asked if the party will field them in the Lok Sabha polls if they worked well, Javadekar avoided a direct reply, only saying the BJP believes in a “constant evaluation process”.
The best candidate from there will be given ticket and the work by these Rajya Sabha members will stand them in good stead
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