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The BJP intends to build on the momentum derived from its Allahabad conclave with more rallies being planned in the run-up to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2017.
These rallies will be led by the trio of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party chief Amit Shah and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who will continue to be among the party’s lead campaigners.
‘Will do a 2014 in 2017’Top BJP leaders believe that with its contingent of 71 MPs and growing organisational presence, the party has a good chance of repeating its 2014 performance in the crucial Hindi heartland State. Amit Shah has already begun convening regular meetings of the party’s booth-level workers and this will continue in the next few months.
The party has divided Uttar Pradesh into six zones, where Booth committees have been set up here to mobilise voters and facilitate polling.
“Our work in the 2017 Assembly elections would be easier than it was in the Lok Sabha elections,” said a top BJP leader. “This is because we had only ten MPs to work with in 2014; and only in 37 per cent booths had we managed to constitute functional booth committees. Now we have 71 BJP MPs and two MPs of our ally Apna Dal, and in over 87 per cent booths, we have managed to set up functional booth committees,” said the BJP leader.
Kairana episodeBesides continuous beefing up of the organisational structure, the BJP will also keep up cadre enthusiasm with the PM’s mega rallies and campaigns such as the one on the alleged “exodus” of members of Hindus from Kairana, western UP. The party is unfazed by claims of the “exodus” having being proved largely incorrect. Its team of MPs has visited the area and will submit a report to Shah, after which further a course of action and campaign will be decided. “Our team is going to Kairana. Let them submit a report and we will verify whether all media reports debunking the exodus are true or not,” said a top BJP leader.
‘SP, the main rival’The BJP is still pitching the Samajwadi Party as its main rival, while dismissing the revival of the BSP in the UP elections.
“Our fight is with the SP for the simple reason that they are in power and they managed to win seven seats in the Lok Sabha elections. The BSP retained some vote share but did not win a single seat in UP,” said the BJP leader.
Although the party has still not decided on a chief ministerial candidate for UP, it is clear that Rajnath Singh will play a crucial role.
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