scorecardresearch
Friday, March 29, 2024
Support Our Journalism
HomePoliticsWhen PM told BJP MPs the secret to becoming a minister in...

When PM told BJP MPs the secret to becoming a minister in Narendra Modi cabinet

At BJP’s first parliamentary party meeting after the Lok Sabha polls, PM Modi also had a message for the MPs bunking Parliament.

Follow Us :
Text Size:

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi dwelt on the “secret” to becoming a minister in his cabinet as he interacted with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs at a parliamentary party meeting Tuesday, ThePrint has learnt.

“All of you must have wondered what is the secret to becoming a minister or what must I have looked for when I expanded the cabinet,” a participant at the meeting quoted Modi as having said.

“Well, it is quite simple. I keep an eye on all of you. I get the records and check your performance, how is your attendance, which all committees you attend, what all you speak in Parliament, and the work you get done in your constituency,” he reportedly said, and added: “This is how we select our ministers.”

This was the BJP’s first parliamentary party meeting after the party registered a massive win in the recent Lok Sabha polls. Interacting with the party MPs, he also had a message for those who hadn’t been regularly attending Parliament, especially during debates on key bills, said sources present at the meeting.

According to the sources, the PM cited the triple talaq bill as an example and noted how a number of MPs were missing when it was tabled.

“PM Modi said he was not happy with how the MPs have behaved in the last 10 days,” said one of the sources.

To bring the point home, the source added, PM Modi painted a hypothetical scenario where BJP president Amit Shah committed to attending an election rally for an MP and cancelled at the last minute.

“How would you feel?” the source quoted Modi as asking the audience, adding, “Imagine if you win by 3 lakh votes and then get to know that your best friend didn’t vote for you? How would you feel then? This is how I felt in the last 10 days.”

‘Get more members’

Among other messages to his party’s MPs, PM Modi also said the BJP should focus on the upcoming membership drive and ensure more people were taken into their fold.

“Don’t leave out anyone,” another source quoted him as saying. “The maid who comes to clean at your house, make her a member of the BJP… She, in return, will be able to reach out to five more persons when she goes out to work at another house. Our job should be to ensure all sections of the society are part of us.”

PM Modi will launch the BJP’s membership drive from Varanasi on 6 July, Saturday. In his outreach to MPs, he also asked party workers to plant at least five trees in every booth across the country.


Also read: Amit Shah is the ‘prime’ minister in Modi cabinet & he hits where it hurts


 

Subscribe to our channels on YouTube, Telegram & WhatsApp

Support Our Journalism

India needs fair, non-hyphenated and questioning journalism, packed with on-ground reporting. ThePrint – with exceptional reporters, columnists and editors – is doing just that.

Sustaining this needs support from wonderful readers like you.

Whether you live in India or overseas, you can take a paid subscription by clicking here.

Support Our Journalism

2 COMMENTS

  1. Most welcome move of Modi II ….. tightening up grips over his MPs. The Prime Minister asking for discipline and productivity! The abcd of administration.
    The MPs of late have become too complacent, not attending Parliament, not visiting the constituency, not attending committed meetings and not at all available for the people, which are very basic duties of a lawmaker.
    If he says he does monitor the overall performance of his Ministers and lawmakers – it is more than welcome. This message will go down to every level of political spectrum as well as to administration and would go long way setting examples. Otherwise, political bosses seem to be immune from the basic rules of discipline and decency. The ruling party and it’s leaders are supposed to maintain a very high degree of behavior, character and efficiency …. for it will effect the entire political class and other parties too will fall in line sooner or later.
    More often than not Parliament is seen with very thin attendance even though important discussions are taking place. It becomes rather painful if people do not see their MPs present in the Parliament.
    The Prime Minister also insisted on that the Ministers attend their offices and avoid working from homes. The Ministers are also supposed to monitor discipline and efficiency in their respective deptts down the line so that govt deptts do function properly and prudently. The govt offices are infamous for indiscipline and inefficiency seriously lacking accountability ….. Ministers’ efficacy would have a natural positive impact on their deptts!

  2. By these objective, rigorous selection criteria, it is no wonder that neither Hema Malini nor Sunny Deol is a Minister.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular