Maharashtra: Improve or perish, BJP tells its MLAs

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The BJP has told its 105 MLAs to improve or perish. It has asked them to better their individual performances, public connect, and advised them to iron out deficiencies that the party found in an independent survey of constituencies in the run-up to the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.

In a one-on-one interaction with MLAs, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, state party President Chandrashekhar Bawankule and National Organising Secretary Shiv Prakash presented each Assembly member a 60-page individual report card on Friday at Garware Club. Other than the independent agency, the party had sought feedback from office bearers and the RSS network.

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The survey was conducted without the MLAs' knowledge. A couple of MLAs said the report card had things that might appear insignificant at first glance, but they surely held more importance in the long run. The report card included a caste-wise number of voters and community-specific opinion about the party and sitting MLA; the percentage of assurances fulfilled; the party's opinion about the MLA; coordination with the party; implementation of developmental work initiated by the Centre and state; the winning margin in the previous polls and the prospects of winning/losing the forthcoming election. It also suggested prospective candidates from the Opposition parties and assessment of the battle in terms of vote share expected.

The MLAs have been asked to reach out to people and increase their social media presence. They were told that the BJP was friends with Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde-led) and NCP (Ajit Pawar-led) and hence local skirmishes with the ally parties, if any, must be sorted out before the Lok Sabha polls.