With the BJP Campaign Committee chief Narendra Modi expected to remain busy travelling extensively across the country in the coming days, the Gujarat BJP is gearing up for the upcoming general elections.
Knowing the fact that the Gujarat Chief Minister will not be able to devote adequate time to his home State, the Gujarat BJP unit will convene a meeting of party office-bearers from across the State on July 20 to discuss the election planning.
Apart from Modi, the crucial party meeting will be attended by Gujarat in-charge OP Mathur, State BJP president RC Faladu, officer-bearers of the State BJP and in-charge Ministers of various districts in Gujarat.
Sources in the saffron party say that discussion on micro-level planning for the 26 lok Sabha constituencies will be held. “Apart from formation of booth committees, arrangements of public meetings, rallies, group meetings and selection of venues, many other subjects related to elections are likely to be discussed during the meet,” they said.
In the last lok Sabha elections in 2009, the BJP was expecting nearly 20 seats but the party had to content with only 15 seats, while the arch-rival Congress won 11 seats. “Because of the new delimitation of many constituencies, voting pattern was completely changed which in fact cost a few seats. Even selections of candidates in certain constituencies required to be changed looking to the re-arranged constituencies post delimitation,” said a party leader. Especially, BJP candidate’s defeat in the Rajkot seat, which is considered as BJP bastion, was taken seriously by the party leadership.
However, that mistake was corrected instantly and as a result of it, the BJP could win in by-elections of two lok Sabha seats and four Assembly seats with thumping majority. Now, the BJP is having 17 lok Sabha seats and in the Gujarat Assembly, the numbers of BJP MlAs have reached from 115 to 119. Recent victories in panchayat and municipalities’ bypolls have definitely created upbeat mood among the party workers across the State.
Cong to hold food rallies from Monday
In order to create awareness on Food Security Act, the Gujarat Congress will organise rallies across the State. The month-long awareness campaign would start from Monday and will continue till August 15, said Gujarat Congress spokesman Manish Doshi. “It would cover 37 major towns including all the district headquarters and 235 tehsils. The campaign will be brought to ward level through local group meetings, awareness events, writing slogans on walls, seminars and meetings of anganwadi, mid-day meal, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and other ways,” said Doshi.