By Pradeep Kapoor
Shocked by humiliating defeat at Ghosi assembly by-polls early this month, an unnerved BJP high command is busy making new road map to face INDIA in Uttar Pradesh to get maximum seats in 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Before Ghosi by-polls, BJP was confident of retaining 62 seats won in 2019 but now the Sangh Parivar and BJP with the help of Yogi Government are involved in strategic planning to ensure victory of saffron candidates.
In an attempt to strengthen the party organisation at grass-roots, BJP changed 69 out of total 98 district presidents. Those changed also include President of Mau district where party candidate Dara Singh Chauhan was defeated by SP candidate Sudhakar Singh in Ghosi assembly by-polls.
Maximum changes took place in Western UP where BJP faces serious challenge from the combination of Samajwadi Party, RLD and Congress. Winning over backwards was the main criteria behind the changing of district presidents. BJP has realised the potential threat from PDA (pichda, dalit and alpsankhayak) formula of Samajwadi Party. That is why BJP has decided to form groups of backward leaders and reach out to every household to spread the message of the party.
For better coordination between the Sangh Parivar, frontal organisation, BJP and the government, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat held long discussions with CM Yogi Adityanath his two deputy CMs Brijesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya, state president Bhupendra Choudhry and general secretary organisation Dharampal Singh.
The main emphasis of this meeting was to spread the message of Hindutva through Ram Mandir related programs on one hand and winning over backward community on the other. BJP and the Sangh Parivar are also involved in formulating programs to involve every household in UP in Ram Mandir related programs to get benefit in Lok Sabha polls. BJP is also concentrating in those 14 Lok Sabha constituencies where party candidates were defeated in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Significantly enough, All India General Secretary of BJP Sunil Bansal, who was looking after UP polls and organisation since 2014 polls, met senior state leaders and discussed at length about the reasons for the loss of party in 14 Lok Sabha constituencies. In 2019 Lok Sabha polls. He has submitted a detailed report to the BJP high command on actions to be taken to capture those seats in 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Beside these preparations, BJP high command is also seeking feedback about each and every Lok Sabha MP from UP to drop the non-performing MPs from the official list of candidates for forthcoming Lok Sabha polls. (IPA Service)
