By Abhishek Prabhat BBC correspondent in Delhi

Party activists feel unloved

BJP ministers have been asked to report to the party office and interact with grassroots party activists.

The party has fared poorly in several recent local elections with one exception - a massive victory in the state of Gujarat.

But several important states go to the polls later this year and a general election is due in 2004.

Concerned over the fact that many supporters of the party were feeling alienated from their government, the BJP has launched a grievance cell which aims to address problems of the workers.

'Face-to-face'

The "sahyog" or co-operation cell as it is called was recently launched by Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishan Advani.

BJP leaders: Back to basics

Ministers have been asked to report to the cell on working days, listen to aggrieved workers and try to solve their problems.

A rota has been drawn up and ministers have been given shifts.

"Between three and four ministers will attend to the party supporters on all working days," a BJP leader said.

A small, cramped room has been allocated for the interactive sessions.

Since the room is just big enough to accommodate the ministers and complainants, the bureaucracy is left out.

Party workers complain that the bureaucrats allow them little access to the ministers.

"Thankfully, there is no room for them here and we can have face-to-face interaction with the leaders," he said.

Boycott

But there are some problems for the ministers too.

Many ministers have been boycotted by the party workers.

"They forgot us when they became ministers," said one worker.

"So, this time we have decided to give it back to them."

But there are other mundane issues which are of immediate concern for some ministers.

There is no phone in the room, tea takes hours to arrive, and worse, if the ministers express inability to accede to an unreasonable demand, the worker goes on to badmouth them!

"This not only hurts our credibility but also makes it difficult for us to win an election," complained one minister.