With internal dissensions and factionalism plaguing Chandigarh BJP, the national BJP president Rajnath Singh on Sunday directed the city party unit to work unitedly to ensure party’s win at Chandigarh parliamentary constituency during the upcoming lok Sabha elections scheduled next year.
Rajnath Singh reached Chandigarh on Sunday to meet city BJP leaders to chalk out poll strategy and review preparations for upcoming parliamentary elections. Rajnath was accompanied by party national general secretary Jagat Prakash Nadda and Chandigarh Incharge for the BJP, Aarti Mehra.
Addressing the workers at Makkhan Shah lubhana Bhawan in Sector 30 here, Rajnath said, “The party workers should spread party’s ideology to grassroot level to ensure BJP’s win in the city. The workers at booth level should work hard to strengthen the party here.” Rajnath also appreciated party’s Prime Ministerial candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister Narender Modi and said that country is looking forward to the dynamic leadership of Modi to take the country to greater heights.
This was the first meeting of Rajnath Singh with the city leaders after the announcement of party’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. The senior party leaders, district presidents, mandal in-charges among others were present during the meeting.
A senior party leader said, “The national president reviewed the preparation of city party unit for forthcoming general elections and also directed the party workers to gear up for the elections. The national leader also directed the city BJP to actively work for spreading awareness about various scams done by the Congress city MP Pawan Kumar Bansal.” Notably, the Central leaders had earlier directed the city party unit to actively campaign against Bansal and spread awareness at grassroot levels about corruption cases like Railway board bribery scam in which Bansal was allegedly involved.
At present, the party city unit is struggling due to infighting with three big-shots including city BJP president, former Union Minister Harmohan Dhawan and former city MP and chairman of BJP National legal Working Group Satya Pal Jain vying for party ticket from the constituency for elections.
BJP has remained out of the power for over 10 years in the city and faces a tough challenge to wrest city parliamentary seat from Congress this time. During 2009 parliamentary elections, Congress candidate Pawan Kumar Bansal had retained Chandigarh’s seat recording a hat-trick on the seat and defeating archrival Satya Pal Jain of BJP and Harmohan Dhawan, who had fought elections on BSP ticket then.