BJP to appoint Sampark Pramukhs to keep Sena-NCP guardian ministers in check

BJP to appoint senior leaders as sampark pramukhs in 16 districts to ensure better coordination and prevent NCP and Shiv Sena from overshadowing them.

MUMBAI: After the tussle over the guardian ministership of two districts led to a stay on appointments, the BJP has announced that it will appoint its senior leaders as sampark pramukhs (communication chiefs) in the 16 districts where the guardian ministers are from the NCP and Shiv Sena. The appointments are reportedly to ensure better coordination with the government and ensure that the guardian ministers do not suppress the BJP in that district.

BJP to appoint Sampark Pramukhs to keep Sena-NCP guardian ministers in check

In the recent appointments by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, 20 BJP ministers were appointed as guardian ministers in 21 districts. The Shiv Sena has nine guardian ministers while the NCP has seven. The decision to appoint sampark pramukhs comes close on the heels of the government’s decision to appoint BJP and RSS workers as personal assistants in the offices of ministers from the BJP.

“The sampark pramukhs will work as the link between the people and the government and help fulfil the assurances made to voters in the election,” said Maharashtra BJP chief and revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule. He said the party’s decision to appoint BJP and RSS workers in the offices of ministers as personal assistants was for better coordination between the BJP and its affiliate organisations (read RSS).

Bawankule said the party had also mandated that BJP ministers hold a janata darbar or people’s hearing once a fortnight at the party headquarters in Mumbai. “The ministers have also been asked to visit one village in every district and stay overnight to understand the local issues and problems. We are rolling out a separate mechanism for the issues in tribal districts,” he said.

The party’s decision to appoint BJP and RSS leaders in ministerial offices and sampark pramukhs came after a two-day brainstorming session between the BJP and RSS last weekend. According to a senior party leader, the sampark pramukhs will help them to tighten their grip over the district and not allow their allies to overpower them at the local level.

“The sampark pramukhs will help in bringing adequate funds to the district for BJP MLAs and keeping the party imprint intact in the district,” he said. “The guardian ministers, who take a call on the district planning committee funding, allocate funds to the works suggested by the MLAs from their parties. The sampark pramukhs will ensure that BJP MLAs too get a say in these allocations.”