Katra: BJP president J P Nadda on Saturday asked party legislators to prioritise development of their constituencies and maintain deep connections with the citizens as he joined the concluding session of the two-day MLA training workshop here, a party spokesman said.
Ahead of the maiden Budget session post abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories in August 2019, the BJP held the ‘Vidhayak Prashikshan Shivir’ at a hotel in Katra to ensure effective participation of the party legislators in the Assembly proceedings.
The second day of the workshop witnessed deliberations on leadership, governance, and public outreach, the spokesperson added.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh also attended the workshop and said that while following “our nationalist ideology, the issues concerning the welfare of the people will be raised (during the upcoming Budget Session). And our legislators are also capable of presenting their arguments with full preparation.”
Nadda, accompanied by Singh, national general secretary, incharge J-K, Tarun Chugh and J-K BJP president Sat Sharma also paid obeisance at the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine atop Trikuta hills before visiting the two-day workshop at Katra, the base camp for the pilgrims visiting the shrine.
Addressing the MLAs, Nadda highlighted the importance of “karyakarta nirman” and urged the legislators to rise above the “allure of political posts”.
Drawing from his own experience as an MLA and leader of opposition, the Union health minister said “posts are transient, but the trust of the people is enduring.”
He advised legislators to proactively engage with communities through platforms like ‘Krishi Vigyan Kendras’, ‘Asha workers’ meetings, and parent-teacher interactions in government schools.
Nadda also emphasised the need for MLAs to be “good listeners” to effectively resolve public grievances and regularly visit Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities to ensure inclusive development, the spokesman said.
“The BJP will play a great role as the main opposition party (in the J&K assembly). This is for the first time that we have come with such a huge mandate (by winning 29 Assembly seats) and our vote share is even better than the ruling party (NC),” Singh told reporters on the sidelines of the workshop.
He said the BJP legislators will highlight within and outside the Assembly the disadvantages of not having a “double-engine” government in Jammu and Kashmir.
BJP president pays obeisance at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine
BJP president J P Nadda and Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday offered prayers at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district, officials said.
Nadda, who is also the Union health minister, was accompanied by his wife Mallika Nadda, BJP national general secretary and in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir, Tarun Chugh and Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Sat Sharma, they said.
Nadda reached Katra, the base camp for the pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine, to address the concluding session of the two-day training workshop organised by the party for its 28 legislators — majority of whom are first-timers — ahead of the budget session, which is scheduled to start on March 3.
The ‘Vidahayak Prashishan Shivir’ was jointly inaugurated by BJP national general secretary B L Santosh and Sat Sharma at a hotel in Katra on Friday.
The focus of the workshop is to ensure the effective participation of the BJP legislators in the assembly proceedings.