Mass outreach programme to be discussed at party meet
Top BJP leaders, including Chief Ministers, will burn the midnight oil for the next three days to fine-tune the party’s strategy to make the best out of the anti-Congress mood across the nation.
The National Executive of the BJP will have a closed door meeting on Friday while open sessions of the National Council will be held on Saturday and Sunday.
The BJP plans to counter the buzz around the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) by unleashing a mass campaign that would showcase the main Opposition as the only alternative to the Congress at the national level. A couple of noted personalities and MPs from other parties (mostly from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh) are also expected to join the BJP during this event.
The outline of a mass outreach programme has also been prepared, and it will come up for a detailed discussion during the event. The party has also directed its elected representatives, from sarpanches to MPs, to donate one month’s salary to the ‘Modi for PM’ fund launched recently. The party claims to have nearly 1.30-lakh elected representatives.
Through its political and economic resolutions at the National Council meeting, the BJP will target the Congress and its policies. But the party’s real worries lie in the recent developments in the national Capital that has seen the Congress adopting a two-pronged strategy to counter Narendra Modi.
Party leaders claim that while Modi was being personally targeted in snoopgate and the 2002 riots case, the Congress’ outside support to the AAP was to contain the BJP’s march across the nation.
On record party leaders are dismissing the AAP as a State party with its influence limited to the national Capital, but on the eve of the party conclave, some leaders are pressing the panic button.
“The Congress had been known for its number game politics. Recently it has got engaged in politics of deceit,” BJP chief Rajnath Singh told central office bearers at a meeting here on Thursday.
The party chief cautioned his team that leaders need to ‘gear up’ and strengthen the organisation at the lower level to achieve the target of getting 272+ seats in the lok Sabha.
With its online funding initiative receiving an encouraging response, Singh directed party leaders to give an extra push to the programme. The BJP would also launch certain publicity programmes under slogans like “Vote for India” and “India First.”
Singh, sources claimed, was contemplating certain changes at the organisational level and a decision could be made during the event. Sources claimed Delhi BJP chief Vijay Goel may be asked to vacate the seat for a ‘younger face’ while party in-charge for certain States like Haryana and Bihar could be changed.
Sources claimed MPs from Bihar, Om Prakash Yadav (Siwan), Sushil Kumar Singh (Aurangabad) and Putul Kumari (Banka) could join the party during the conclave. Yadav and Kumari are independent MPs while Singh is a member of the ruling Janata Dal (United). Speculation is rife that former Army Chief VK Singh could also join the party formally during the event. However, there is no official confirmation about Singh.
“Many people having concerns for the nation want to strengthen the hands of Narendra Modi. As and when a decision is taken, we will inform you about it,” BJP spokesman Sudhanshu Trivedi said.