Recharged BJP now wants to do an Assam-like act in UP
NEW DELHI: Days after savouring its spectacular show in Assam and impressive performance in West Bengal and Kerala, BJP has virtually gone into poll mode for Uttar Pradesh, where elections are due in a year, with the party choosing Allahabad as the venue for its June 12-13 national executive meet.
Once a Congress bastion, Allahabad is now a stronghold of the ruling Samajwadi Party in the state. The meet will see Union ministers, chief ministers of party-ruled states, former CMs and state unit chiefs brainstorming for two days as the party will put in place plans to rev up its machinery to come to power in the politically significant state.
Meanwhile, Jagdish Rana, former BSP MP and minister in Mulayam Singh Yadav government, joined BJP on Monday in presence of UP president Keshav Prasad Maurya. Party sources said several other disgruntled members from rival camps are likely to join soon. Events involving PM Narendra Modi, party president Amit Shah and home minister Rajnath Singh have been lined up in the state to ward off, what party leaders say, any complacency among the cadre who had “slackened” in the run-up to Bihar polls after the win in 2014 Lok Sabha polls. BJP members say the series of activities planned for the state is in line with its population, almost a fifth of the country.
“UP hosted the last national executive meet in June 2011 in Lucknow when Nitin Gadkari was the party president. It should not be seen in the light of ensuing assembly polls,” said Rajnath Singh. He said the change in the electorate’s mind-set coupled with the Centre’s positive agenda have put BJP on a firm footing.
BJP top brass will criss-cross the state after Modi kicks-off the two-week celebrations of NDA government’s second anniversary -Vikas Parv— with a rally in Saharanpur on May 26. The party chief and dozens of Union ministers are expected to cover over 30 cities addressing rallies. BJP national general secretary (organisation) Ramlal, vice-president (in-charge Uttar Pradesh) Om Mathur and newly appointed state president Keshav Prasad Maurya recently met the top leadership at the party headquarters to chalk out the contours of the celebrations.
Shah is expected to tour the state extensively in the coming days after holding a programme of the party’s Dalit cell in Lucknow on June 4. BJP is on an overdrive to win over the community which gives electoral sustenance to Mayawati’s BSP. Party’s farmer face, Rajnath Singh, will be addressing rallies at various places, including Amroha and Mau.
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