Execute Modi government's pro-poor agenda, Amit Shah tells BJP CMs

Asserting that BJP has ushered in an era of 'politics of performance', its president Amit Shah today asked the party’s chief ministers to make their states an effective instrument for the execution of the Centre’s “pro-poor” and “good governance” agenda.

Noting that the party rules over 51 percent of the country’s landmass and 37 per cent population, he said states would play a key role in the success of the Modi government’s welfare policies as they are responsible for executing 65 of the 80 such schemes launched by it.

Shah made these remarks in his inaugural address of the one-day meeting of the party’s chief ministers, deputy chief ministers and its president in these states.

This is first such meeting since it came to power in the Centre in May 2014 and comes days after Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid out the party’s “pro-poor and good governance” agenda at a meeting of core committees of state units.

With the party and its governments facing attack from the opposition over issues concerning Dalits and minorities, it believes that a stronger emphasis on welfare schemes, especially targeting the poor, can firewall it against adverse political outcome and instead help it reach out to the weaker sections.

“BJP has started in the country an era of politics of performance. The state governments of the BJP have been re-elected time and again on the basis of performance. It is the joint responsibility of the central and state governments that we together build a pro-poor welfare state and change the life of the common man,” he said.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told a press conference later that Shah sought effective execution of central policies.

All the states also made a presentation of their work and what they plan to do, especially in the field of agriculture, woman empowerment and employment, he said.

All chief ministers except Vasundhara Raje of Rajasthan attended the exercise. She was represented by a senior ministers, Fadnavis said.

He added that governance and not politics was the agenda of the meeting, when he was asked if recent controversies or UP elections also figured in the deliberations.