Bhubaneswar: BJP women's wing national president Vijaya Rahatkar on Thursday said the party would bank on social media to reach out to the grassroots with various welfare schemes of the Narendra Modi government.

Inaugurating the BJP's two-day women's convention here, Rahatkar said: "Under the Narendra bhai's government, many welfare measures have been initiated for the development of women. We will use the social media extensively to take the welfare programmes of the Modi government to women."

She said: "We will use social media to make youths aware of various programmes. The state women's unit will be given the responsibility."

The BJP would highlight its Ujjwala scheme under which cooking gas connections are being given to women.

The BJP plans to give cooking gas connection to 30 lakh women across the state under this scheme. Almost all the petrol pumps in the state are carrying photos of Modi highlighting the Ujjwala scheme.

State BJP women's wing president Pravati Parida said: "Many senior leaders will attend the convention on Friday. We will chalk out plans to carry forward the party's goals for the overall growth of women.

The Odisha government has failed in providing social security to women."

The BJP's aim is to break the BJD's stronghold on women.

The BJP on Thursday organised a massive rally from the airport to the party office to welcome Rahatkar. The entire stretch was dotted with her photos and Prime Minister Modi's pictures.

The BJD reacted sharply to BJP's women convention. BJD spokesperson Sulochana Das said: "Before they criticise the Odisha government, they should analyse their own conduct. At the moment under the BJP's regime, the women are not safe."