Over 200 legislators of the Mahayuti comprising BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP on Wednesday interacted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At the maiden meeting held after the Mahayuti’s landslide victory in the Assembly election, the Prime Minister advised the legislators to firm up a five-year plan for the development of their constituencies and start preparations for the next elections.
The Prime Minister also categorically told them to take care of their health and family by balancing the time between constituency work and time for family members.
PM Modi strongly emphasised the need for self-discipline in their functioning.
“Visit at least five gram panchayats every month to review the ground level status of progress of various works and understand the problems of the people there. The legislators should work as a bridge between the people and the government to fast track the implementation of development and welfare schemes,” he said.
The Prime Minister asked the legislators to conduct periodic visits in villages and booths where they got less votes. This is necessary, he stressed, to mobilise more support and make up for the loss of votes in the November 2024 Assembly elections.
Amid rising trend of legislators paying more attention on pursuing transfers of government employees and officers, the Prime Minister asked them to refrain from it, and instead, focus on expediting the development work.
His message to the legislators was “to maintain a proper coordination with the government officers and thereby clear all hurdles in the completion of development works in a time bound manner”.
A Mahayuti minister said: “The Prime Minister advised the legislators to focus on timely implementation of various state and central government schemes and their roadmap for five years. The legislators will have to keep the record of financial and social conditions of the beneficiaries of these schemes and what further improvements are needed in their implementation. The Prime Minister specifically told the legislators to regularly keep contact with the voters by upgrading their communication strategies.”
PM Modi during his address also shared his political journey, especially as the Gujarat Chief Minister for 12 and half years and 10 years as the Prime Minister. He further said that during his third term as PM, he has been focusing on the Mission Viksit Bharat to be achieved by 2047.
He also said that he has been working with an objective of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vikshwas and Sabka Prayas.
Meanwhile, minister (NCP) Dhananjay Munde was conspicuous by his absence at the interactive meeting held by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Munde is currently mired in a controversy after his close aide Walmik Karad’s arrest in an extortion case linked to the murder of Massajog village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh from Munde’s native Beed district.
On Tuesday, charges under MCOCA were slapped against Karad and since then, tensions prevailed in Parli — hometown of Munde and Karad.
The opposition has already raised the demand for Munde’s resignation. On Tuesday, deputy CM and NCP president Ajit Pawar disbanded the entire Beed district committee of the party.
According to sources, several committee members are linked to Karad and party has now decided to restructure the entire district committee. Ever since the slapping of MCOCA charges, Parli has been witnessing unrest and protests. Munde’s absence from PM Modi’s programmes comes on this background and amid demands of his ouster from the Cabinet.
NCP sources said that Munde met the party president and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday night and sought his nod to leave for Parli to keep an eye on unrest and control the situation.