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BJP gears up for ballot battle

Monday, 08 November 2021 | PNS | New Delhi

Exec fixes 3 goals to help win Assembly polls in 5 States

Set on winning the forthcoming Assembly polls in five States, including Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Uttarakhand, the BJP on Sunday fixed three organisational goals. These are: Party committees in all 10.40 lakh booths, appointment of ‘page pramukhs’, and a booth-level listening mechanism for the Prime Minister’s ‘Mann ki baat’ in the next six months.

The party also offered to provide “judicial justice” to each of the BJP workers affected by the post-poll violence in West Bengal.

The National Executive of the BJP, which started here at the NDMC Convention Centre amid beating of drums and singing of ‘chaath’ songs, worked on a heavy agenda of unrolling a plan to succeed in five Assembly polls after witnessing mixed results in 29 Assembly bypolls and three Lok Sabha by-elections.

The meeting, presided over by party president JP Nadda, was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, S Jaishankar, Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan and Chief Ministers and Deputy-Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled States.

State presidents and several others connected online with the meeting, the first such since 2019 and post the pandemic. Party veterans like LK Advani and MM Joshi, too, attended the meet virtually.

Besides deciding to set up and consolidate all booth committees and completing the appointment of ‘panna pramukh’, particularly in the five poll-bound States, the National Executive also sought to chalk-out a working plan “to surge ahead” in States like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

In his inaugural address to the conclave, Nadda said that the party’s “peak is yet to come”  and set a three-point plan for the workers in the next six-months to expand and consolidate the party’s hold in all the States.

The BJP president fixed a “six-month leap” for the party organisation ahead of the crucial Assembly elections.

He said the BJP workers need to complete the task of setting-up booth committees in all 10.40 lakh polling stations across the country by December 25.

Nadda said while 85 per cent booth committees have been completed, the remaining 15 per cent must be accomplished in the given time-frame.

The BJP president said appointment of all ‘Page Pramukhs’ should also be completed by April 6, 2022.

Dharmendra Pradhan who briefed the Press said Nadda also asked the party organisation to “institutionalise” a listening mechanism of the Prime Minister’s ‘Mann ki baat’ radio programme “at the booth level by May 2022”.

While detailing the plan for the party workers, Nadda repeated the comments by his predecessor Amit Shah post the 2014 victory that “Utkarsh abhi baki hain” and the party has to March on to its new and bigger targets.

Nadda specifically mentioned post-poll violence against BJP workers in West Bengal saying 53 party workers were killed and one lakh fled and were living in shelter homes and that all top institutions including the Supreme Court commented on the acts of vicious attacks in the State.

Describing what he said was the “complete politicisation” of the State Government’s policies, Nadda said, “even vaccination is done on party lines which is height of inhumanity.”

“BJP is with people of Bengal and will do everything to restore faith in democracy and establish the Constitution there”, he said.

He said in 2016 BJP vote percentage in West Bengal was negligible but today it is standing at 38 per cent with 18 Lok Sabha and 77 Assembly seats under its belt.

“In the independent history such rapid growth in people’s faith in a party is not seen,” said the BJP chief.

A political resolution passed by the party mentioned widespread violence in Bengal and condemned it. The resolution was presented by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and seconded by six other leaders including Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami.

The resolution pointed to the country’s determined bid to gain “self-reliance” and detailed Government programmes like ‘Make in India’, ‘Digital India’ and the clarion call for ‘Vocal for local.’

The resolution also pointed out how abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has led to rapid development with conduct of local elections and “reduction in terrorist activities and reduced civilian deaths.”

In his address Nadda also said the Prime Minister’s leadership and Shah’s administrative acumen brought J&K on the path of development.

Nadda thanked Modi for providing the country a “decisive leadership” during Covid-19 and launching “the largest monthly food programme” for 80 crore poor in the country soon after the lockdown under “Garib Kalyan Yojna.” But for Modi’s visionary leadership the pandemic could have led to “starvation”, he said.

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