Amit Shah Meets Rajasthan BJP Leaders, Asks Them To Ensure Strong Mandate In Next Polls

BJP president Amit Shah met top leaders of the party's Rajasthan unit and asked them to ensure that the party gets a strong mandate in next assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the state.

He sought suggestions from the leaders, including MPs and MLAs, on ways to strengthen the party's position, party sources said.

Mr Shah met Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, state BJP president Ashok Parnami, MPs, MLAs and other senior leaders of the party on the last day of his three-day visit that was aimed at reviewing the preparations for the assembly polls due next year as also the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

"Several suggestions came up at the party president's meeting with MPs and MLAs. The party president asked them to make the party stronger at booth level," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajendra Rathore told reporters.

He said the suggestions came on a range of issues, including the problem of illegal Bangladeshis residing in parts of the country.

Gyan Dev Ahuja, MLA from Ramgarh in Alwar, said he raised the issue of 'love jihad' and problem of NGOs allegedly involved in illegal activities.

"There are numerous NGOs in the country which are involved in illegal activities in the name of social service or social cause and there should be a check and action on such NGOs. Several NGOs run by minority community people are involved in conversion of Hindu girls and in promoting 'love jihad," Mr Ahuja said.

He said Mr Shah "gave positive response to the suggestions and asked all of us to work hard to make the party stronger."

Several other suggestions like felicitating elderly party workers were also given by the MLAs and MPs.

Mr Shah also held meetings with 'Vistaraks'(full-time workers) and motivated them to work hard for the party.

He asked them to establish direct contact with people across the state and from all sections of the society ahead of the assembly elections due next year.

The BJP chief also had lunch at the residence of a Dalit booth-level worker.

Accompanied by Raje, Parnami, Union minister Rajyawardhan Rathore and MPs Bhupendra Yadav and Nihal Chand, Shah was given a warm welcome at the residence of Ramesh Pacharia, a BJP Yuva Morcha member.

"My mother cooked daal, rice, chapatti, halwa and kheer for the party president," Mr Pacharia told reporters after the meals that Mr Shah and others had by sitting on the ground.

Locals, who had lined up in narrow lanes and on rooftops to catch glimpse of Mr Shah and Ms Raje, were thrilled when they met them outside the house.

Social Justice Minister Arun Chaturvedi said Mr Pacharia's residence was chosen on the basis of his active work for the party and not due to his caste or class.

"We identify our workers on the basis of their work. We do not consider their caste or class and decision for Shah's lunch at his house was made just because of his active participation in the party's work," he said.

The minister said it is the media, not the party, which sees the caste and Dalit factor.

"For us, his work is considerable," he said.

"It is not that we selected a Dalit family. Several Dalit families live close by the BJP office but the party president visited the house of an active party worker. The distance of Sushilpura is also not very far from the party office," he said.

The narrow lanes of Sushilpura witnessed VVIP movement for the first time.

Mr Shah interacted with the family members and met the locals outside the house.