Modi meets BJP's women MPs over breakfast

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met women MPs of the BJP over breakfast at his residence on Friday, the fifth in the series of meetings with a cross-section of parliamentarians from the party.

The party's MPs have been divided into seven groups and Modi has already met party parliamentarians belonging to the OBC, SC and ST categories, and those who were ministers once, sources said.

The meetings have been planned so BJP MPs from both the houses get an opportunity to directly interact with the prime minister, who can guide them and discuss various issues, especially related to Parliament, a BJP leader said.

An MP who attended one of these meetings said it was in the nature of an informal interaction with Modi directly talking to them.

Home Minister Amit Shah, who is also the BJP president, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi are the only Union ministers who are part of these meetings.

During the 16th Lok Sabha, the prime minister met MPs from various states in every session of Parliament, where he spoken to them about the government's agenda.

The newly elected 17th Lok Sabha has 78 women MPs, the highest since independence. Of these, 41 of them are from the BJP.