BJP CMs' Council meeting begins

New Delhi : A day-long meeting of the BJP Chief Ministers' Council began here on Tuesday to discuss plans of reaching out to the beneficiaries of the Centre's welfare schemes as part of the party's efforts to retain power in 2019.

Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah delivered the inaugural speech. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the meeting at 12 p.m.

The BJP has 15 Chief Ministers and seven Deputy Chief Ministers -- two in Uttar Pradesh and one each in Gujarat, Bihar, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura.

In Bihar, the BJP is part of the coalition government led by the Janata Dal-United while in Nagaland, it is part of Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party's Neiphiu Rio-led People's Democratic Alliance.

The Council meeting has been an annual affair since 2014 after Modi took over as Prime Minister.

He will address the valedictory session later in the evening.