PM Modi hosts key BJP meeting ahead of major polls

A high-level meeting of the BJP’s top leadership, including Union Ministers and party president Nitin Nabin, was held at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence on Sunday evening. The meeting included Union ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, JP Nadda, Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Bhupendra Patel, and party’s organisation incharge BL Santosh and general secretary Arun Singh among other leaders.

Sources said the meeting focused on various issues including Rajya Sabha (RS) polls, the impending elections to several Legislative Councils (LC) and Assembly polls scheduled next year for Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

Sources said members also discussed upon and strategised on securing an advantage over the Opposition in the high-stakes RS polls, particularly in light of the recent defeat of women’s reservation bill. The States where Rajya Sabha polls are due were told to submit list of suitable candidates along with the existing retiring members this month. No names were discussed for the RS elections sources confirmed.

Elections for 24 RS seats spread across 10 States are set to take place on June 18. The vacancies arose due to the retirement of sitting lawmakers from the Upper House, between June 21 and July 19. The last date of filing nominations for RS elections is on June 8.

Possible nominations for State LC elections, spanning across Karnataka, Bihar and Maharashtra, were also discussed in the meeting, sources added.

The biennial election for 16 seats of Maharashtra LC is set to be held on June 18. In Karnataka, seven LC seats will be at disposal after expiry of terms of the incumbent members while in Bihar, one LC seat became vacant after resignation of former Bihar CM Nitish Kumar.

Sources also said that the discussion was held on strengthening the organisation, mobilising workers and supporters at the grassroots to propagate landmarks and milestones of the Government over the past 12 years. PM Modi recently completed twelve years in power and the party brass hopes to inform, intimate and impress upon the electorate about the India growth story that unfolded in all these years under his leadership.