Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has said he wants the BJP functionaries to believe in a “we and not I” principle, and stressed the importance of collective leadership to advance the saffron party’s “political thoughts and ideologies” and meet people’s expectations.
Addressing a preparatory meeting for the BJP’s special training camp in New Town near here on Sunday, Adhikari said he wants all the BJP workers in the state to promote the policy of collective leadership, which means “we and not I, and taking everyone along together”.
Claiming that a section of government functionaries is holding a negative mindset in implementing the new BJP dispensation’s policies and programmes in the state, the chief minister said, “The government’s policies need to be percolated down to the lowest level of functionaries, and those having a negative mindset have to be rectified.”
Adhikari said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who led the BJP’s campaign in the last West Bengal assembly elections, had described the condition of the people during the TMC regime and the changes they would see when a BJP government came to power in the state.
“The responsibility to live up to these is largely upon my shoulders as the chief minister, which I am trying to and will do in future also,” he said.
Maintaining that the political perspective in Bengal is slightly different from other states, he said it is a politically active state with year-long programmes, and the BJP functionaries have to work accordingly.
After 34 years of the Left rule and 15 years of the TMC dispensation, the BJP’s organisation and the people’s representatives must work closely to advance the saffron party’s “political thoughts and ideologies”, fulfil the Prime Minister’s guarantees, and meet people’s expectations.
He said the BJP government will fulfil all the promises made in its poll manifesto in phases.
The BJP functionaries would have to maintain vigilance over the fulfilment of poll promises, and bring the required matters to the notice of the local MLA or the chief minister.
Prescribing a close hand-holding with the BJP’s elected representatives, he said the party functionaries would also have to ensure that the government welfare schemes and other benefits reach the right people.
Adhikari said he has started the process of twice-a-week meetings of the core committee of the BJP and interaction with the people at the party’s Salt Lake office.
“I urge your cooperation with the government, your suggestions, and that you keep a vigil,” he said, addressing the party functionaries.
The chief minister said that in line with the Centre, the West Bengal government will also set up a separate Ayush department, which will benefit the people of the state.”
Adhikari said that his government will provide a job to the kin of each of the 315 BJP workers who lost their lives in political violence in the state.
The CM also said the government will plant 1.10 crore trees across the state as part of a programme introduced on World Environment Day on June 5
