This Article is From Feb 09, 2016

An Appointment That BJP Won't Let Its Ministers Skip Ahead Of Polls

An Appointment That BJP Won't Let Its Ministers Skip Ahead Of Polls

BJP wants ministers to meet spokespersons regularly

New Delhi: Before a string of elections, the ruling BJP's new image-building exercise has ministers squeezing in appointments with party spokespersons.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar met them on Monday and Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani will meet them today.

Sources say all spokespersons, especially those from the five states going to polls this year, will interact with senior ministers on a regular basis.

In the meetings, the minister will explain their work and the spokespersons will offer their inputs.

The BJP believes this will help the party after its major setbacks in the Delhi and Bihar elections.

"They will be able to answer questions related to specific ministries, they can project the government's performance and also defend it against the opposition's attacks," sources said.

The effort has been organized by the party's "good governance" cell.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is used to these interactions. He has been briefing party spokespersons for over a year. Last year, he met them before the budget and discussed how to tackle sticky issues raised by the opposition in Parliament.

Sources say Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear that spokespersons must be better prepared and rely on good research.

After its defeat in Bihar last year despite a high voltage campaign by PM Modi, the party has staked much on its performance and image as it preps for another round of state poll tests. Elections are due in West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry  this year.
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