The BJP National Executive on Sunday took stock of the gains made in the recent Assembly polls and discussed its strategy to consolidate the party’s position in the next round of polls for five States in 2017. However, the party did not take up the issue of projecting anyone as its “face” for the Uttar Pradesh polls and might conduct ‘internal surveys’ before settling the issue.
Meanwhile, outside the venue of the National Executive meeting, the city of Allahabad saw the UP leadership issue finding it reflection in hundreds of posters put up by the supporters of BJP MP Varun Gandhi. This has not been to the liking of the top party leadership, sources said.
Varun is seen in the posters along with Modi and Shah with several other top BJP leaders, including Union Minister and his mother Maneka Gandhi appearing in smaller versions.
According to sources, though a decision on declaring a CM nominee may be kept in abeyance for some time, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh could be given the responsibility of heading the campaign committee for UP polls. Sources, however, said Rajnath is not too inclined to play ‘a pivotal role’ in the State.
The party may also conduct internal surveys “based on region and castes” before deciding on a CM nominee. “A decision on this will be taken by the Parliamentary Board,” said BJP general secretary Arun Singh.
In poll-bound UP, the party has decided to make deterioration of law and order under the Akhilesh Government as the main election issue and asked partymen to highlight the Mathura violence as also the alleged ‘exodus of Hindus’ from Kairana in west UP. A BJP team will be sent to Kairana to take stock of the situation and give feedback to the Central leadership.
BJP strategists here feel that ‘lawlessness and goonda raj plank’ against the SP rule could bring back BJP from its ‘12 years vanvas’ from power. ‘Abki baar 300 paar’ is the slogan splashed across in some of the posters projecting Varun.
The meet which is being held soon after completion of two year’s tenure of the Modi Government at the Centre is seized of many key issues including that of taking the message of ‘development and good governance’ of the BJP Government at the Centre as also continuing ‘the winning run’ in Assembly polls ahead.
Besides UP, elections for Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur are due in 2017. Gujarat, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh will go to polls in 2018.
The BJP held a meeting of office-bearers in the morning to decide the agenda of the National Executive. Modi also attended the proceedings. later, the party president gave his inaugural address and agenda was discussed in different sessions throughout the day.
The party will bring economic, political and foreign relations resolutions before Prime Minister will make his concluding remarks on Monday and later address a rally at the Parade Ground.
Earlier, the BJP brought several new faces to its National Executive, the highlight being some former Odisha Chief Minister and tribal leader Giridhar Gamang. Himanta Biswa Sarma, who defected from the Congress to the BJP and played a key role in its big Assam win, and former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, a new entrant from the Congress to the party, have also been inducted into the National Executive.