The way to an Opposition legislator’s heart is through his stomach — this was BJP leader Sushma Swaraj’s advice to chief ministers and senior ministers from the BJP-ruled states.
In her concluding address at the BJP’s national convention on good governance, Ms Swaraj said that every BJP government should host dinner parties for all state legislators as part of an exercise to build a cordial relationship with the Opposition.
BJP ministers adopted a charter of good governance at the end of the two-day convention that took place at Utan near Mumbai.
The charter stated that BJP governments will strive for consensus, not conflict. Ms Swaraj said that governments should respect the Opposition and give them opportunity to express their opinions.
Ms Swaraj suggested that every chief minister should organise dinner get-togethers for MLAs at the time of the joint Assembly sessions or the governor’s address, while the finance minister should host parties during the budget session and the parliamentary affairs minister should do the same. “There should be at least three dinner parties for MLAs in every state,” she said.
Moreover, addressing the CMs and the senior ministers of the BJP-ruled states, Ms Sushma Swaraj said, “Whenever the leaders of Opposition or MLAs want to meet you, give them appointment as soon as possible. Whenever he/she arrives, receive them at the door and walk up to the door when he leaves. These small things matter.”
Meanwhile, talking about the convention’s success, Ms Swaraj said that ministers got to know about unique initiatives taken by other governments and they could exchange their experiences.