Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will be in Nitish Kumar's turf on Friday — albeit through a video conference wherein he will address BJP workers in Bihar from Ahmedabad. This event comes against the backdrop of Nitish' JD(U) quitting the NDA last month on Modi's elevation as Chairman of BJP's National Campaign Committee.
"In his address, Modi will boost the morale of BJP workers and request them to ensure party's thumping victory in the forthcoming lok Sabha polls," a senior BJP leader told The Pioneer. Getting maximum seats from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, totalling 120 lok Sabha seats, is Modi's priority and he has suggested party leaders to prepare an "aggressive" campaign strategy for these two States. Modi is also scheduled to address a 'Hunkar' rally in Patna on October 27.
On Thursday, Modi briefed the BJP's Parliamentary Board about the draft campaign strategy that the campaign committee led by him has prepared for the lok Sabha polls. Parliamentary Board members have suggested certain changes in it and the next meeting of the body on July 8 will give it the final shape.
Apparently, Modi also wants the party to launch a campaign against the CBI, which on Wednesday told a Gujarat court that Ishrat Jahan's encounter by the State police was stage-managed. The party has not made up its mind on the issue.
BJP leaders decided to hold lok Sabha seat-wise conferences of booth-level workers of the party to fine-tune strategy for the forthcoming challenge. “In the five poll-bound States — Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram — these conferences will be held at Assembly constituency level,” BJP general secretary Ananth Kumar told reporters after the meeting.
The party will also hold prayer meeting across the country on July 16 for the victims of Uttarakhand tragedy.
"The Parliamentary Board expressed its displeasure over the speed and outcome of the relief works carried out by the Uttarakhand Government. We will also raise fund for the restoration work in the hill State," Ananth Kumar said.
Earlier in the day, Modi separately met BJP leader Varun Gandhi and Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy. In his meeting with Varun, Modi discussed BJP's electoral prospects in Uttar Pradesh and steps that were required to improve party's performance there.
Swamy is understood to have taken up with Modi the merger of his party with the BJP. Swamy has been striving for this for quite some time now, but his proposal is stuck for want of a consensus. Sources claimed Modi has assured Swamy that he will take up his case with BJP chief Rajnath Singh and the Parliamentary Board.