Aiming to shed the tag of a city-centric outfit, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will launch Gram Swaraj Abhiyan in 90,000 villages of Uttar Pradesh from April 14 to 24, to make inroads and win over farmers ahead of the Assembly polls next year. The programme is also aimed at beefing up the party base in rural areas with the slogan of ‘Gram Uday se Bharat Uday tak’.
The campaign will commence on Dr B R Ambedkar’s birthday and conclude on the Panchayati Raj Diwas. Party workers and leaders with rural backgrounds will interact with farmers and apprise them about the beneficial policies and schemes being launched and run by the Union government.
BJP spokesperson Vijay Bahadur Pathak said, “Party workers and leaders will visit assigned villages and apprise people of various Central government schemes like Pradhan Mantri Fasal Beema Yojna, Pradhan Mantra Krishi Sichai Yojna, Soil Testing Card, Horticulture schemes, Animal husbandry and Fisheries projects, Crop cycle and Drip irrigation projects.”
Pathak said that majority of farmers are unaware of the Central schemes meant for them and the campaign aims to make them aware and benefit them.
“The BJP would also be celebrating Panchayati Raj Diwas on April 24 and as per directives, workers and leaders will interact with farmers. Between April 14 and 16, the party will hold Samajik Samrasta Diwas in village slums The exercise would strengthen the party base in rural pockets,” he said. “From April 17 to 20 the party will take up farmers’ issues and from April 21 to 24, the party will hold gram sabha meetings,” he said. As forthcoming assembly election fast approaching and major chunk of voters still reside in villages and blocks, BJP is still known as urban party with its base limited to cities. The party has now drafted a plan to connect with rural folks with an objective to woo them into party fold.