Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told the NDA to focus on issues apart from Ram Mandir ahead of the 2024 general elections. At a meeting with MPs from Uttar Pradesh today, the Prime Minister advised the MPs to go local, and "spend more time with the people", sources said.
The MPs who attended the meet -- to be a part of a series of meetings -- were from West Uttar Pradesh, Braj and the Kanpur-Bundelkhand area.
Sources said the Prime Minister has asked the MPs to talk about local issues in their respective constituencies, go to programmes that people attend including weddings.
"PM Modi gave the mantra of 2024 victory to NDA MPs. 'Convince those who are sulky, angry, spend more and more time with the public during elections," a source quoted him as saying.
Invoking 'coalition dharma', he said unlike the UPA, the NDA is about sacrifice, not selfishness, sources said.
As an example, PM Modi cited Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who, he said, was made the Chief Minister despite having fewer MLAs than the BJP but he still ended the coalition and joined the opposition ranks.
"Despite having a good number of MLAs in the government with the Akali Dal in Punjab, the NDA did not ask for the post of Deputy Chief Minister," a source quoted him as saying.
The BJP has divided the 430 MPs of NDA into 11 groups, which will meet PM Modi by turns till August 10.
The next round of meetings will be held on Wednesday, in which 96 MPs from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep will participate.
The meetings are meant to ensure greater cohesion and synergy within the alliance ahead of the election.
Senior party leaders including Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and BJP chief JP Nadda are expected to be part of the meetings.
