PM Narendra Modi tells BJP MPs to have at least 3 lakh followers on Twitter

Social media is a viable platform to reach out to people and inform them of the government's achievements, BJP MPs have been told. It is also needed to hear their grievances, if any.

Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Smriti Irani in a conversation after BJP's Parliamentary meeting. (ANI Photo)

New Delhi: At a time when social media is a prominent tool in engaging with people at large, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told BJP MPs to have at least 3 lakh followers on their respective Twitter accounts. This has been done to better update people about the achievements of the government and what it plans to do in the time to come.

With an eye on Lok Sabha elections next year, the role of social media to reach out to voters was emphasised during BJP's Parliamentary meeting on Friday evening. MPs were reportedly told to reach out to people in their constituencies and make them aware of all that the government has achieved since coming to power in 2014. The significance of social media was especially highlighted and a presentation was also shown to help MPs understand why connecting with voters online was a necessary aspect of contemporary democracies.

During the meeting, it was highlighted that 43 BJP MPs do not have a Facebook account and that among those who do, 77 are not verified on the social media platform.

BJP's top brass wants to change this as it believes that PM Modi's policies and pro-poor schemes can better reach people if it is spread through the online medium. But expanding presence online is not the only task assigned.

MPs have been told to personally visit their respective constituencies as well and inform people about various schemes and policies taken out since 2014. Feedback too is extremely important and the parliamentarians have been told to not just make a list of grievances but also try to solve them.

BJP chief Amit Shah also spoke on the occasion and said it is crucial for MPs to hold press conferences in their constituencies and tell people why the ongoing session of Parliament has seen continues disruptions. "Amit ji said all MPs of the party must visit their respective constituencies on this Saturday, Sunday and Monday, and explain to people through programmes and press conferences that who is disrupting Parliament session and why are they doing it," said Union Minister Prakash Javadekar.

BJP is not the only party to have begun preparations for the elections next year. Congress too has begun its task of creating a roadmap for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and recently said that poverty, farmer suicides and the economy will be its three focus areas.