In an important stock-taking exercise, top BJP leaders, including party president Amit Shah, on Thursday met senior RSS functionaries and discussed poll-preparedness of the party in four States, going to elections this and next year and deliberated on continuation of “coordination” in the post-lok Sabha poll phase.
The changes in the party organisations following BJP forming Government at the Centre also came up in over four-hour discussion here at the residence of former party president and present Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari.
The induction of new office bearers under new party head is expected to be announced as soon as Parliament session comes to a close , before or on August 14.
New faces are expected to join the national team under shah with a good representation from backward castes, according to sources. The BJP’s national council meeting has been tentatively scheduled for August 9, where Shah’s appointment as party president will be ratified.
Besides Shah, Union Cabinet Ministers Rajnath Singh and Gadkari were among BJP leaders present at the meeting which was attended by top RSS leadership barring ‘Sarsanghchalak’ Mohan Bhagwat.
RSS General Secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi and Joint-General Secretaries Suresh Soni and Dattatreya Hosabale were among the RSS functionaries present in the discussion..
Prime Minister Narendra Modi later hosted the RSS leaders at his residence 7, Race Course. This is seen as Prime Minister’s attempt “to keep in touch” with the organization which had played a pro-active role during 2014-lok Sabha polls.
In view of election in Maharashtra and Haryana , booth-level preparations, assembly specific campaigning and local issues and demands were examined by the two-sides. The meeting also reviewed orgnanisatonal readiness in Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand.
BJP has put J & K on its target and is aiming to win “substantial seats” in the State, a party functionary said.
Modi has asked party MPs to shun complacency and keep regular “live contact” with cadre, party , the Government and its programme and policies. On Friday, Prime Minister is having “a breakfast review meeting” with MPs from Uttarakhand, Haryana and Punjab. The meeting between the top BJP and high RSS functionaries came in the backdrop of reports that the Nagpur organisation was not inclined to be as active in the assembly polls as it did in the lok Sabha polls and instead wanted BJP to revitalise itself.
Shah this month held a series of meetings with the party units in poll-bound States of Maharashtra, Haryana , Jharkhand and J&K to formulate party’s poll strategy .
BJP is trying to win control of Maharashtra and Haryana from Congress and other parties in alliance with it. While Congress and NCP are in power in the Maharashtra, JMM along with RJD and Congress is in power in Jharkhand.