With the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections barely six months away, the Bharatiya Janata Party has stepped up its ground-level preparations, with senior leaders touring key regions to assess the prospects of party candidates, address differences among local leaders and activate workers at the booth level.
BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh and Uttar Pradesh election in-charge Vinod Tawde are holding a series of meetings with MPs, MLAs, district office-bearers and grassroots workers to assess the party’s position and improve coordination between the organisation and government.
Tawde’s tour includes Gorakhpur on September 17-18, Ayodhya on September 18-19 and Prayagraj from September 21-23, followed by a visit to Varanasi.
Eastern UP has emerged as a tough battleground for the saffron brigade, with the resurgent SP, riding on the PDA formula, posing a challenge in the 2027 polls. The assembly constituencies that the BJP lost in the 2022 polls and those it won by small margins are in focus for the BJP leadership. In 2022, the SP swept Azamgarh, Ambedkar Nagar, Ghazipur, Ballia, Basti and Jaunpur districts, winning a majority of the seats. The constituencies where the party faced setbacks or tough competition in previous elections are also on the BJP’s radar.
Even though the BJP has reworked its strategy after forming the government for a second consecutive term, bringing the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) back into its fold and accommodating leaders of Apna Dal (S) and the Nishad Party in the government to consolidate its hold over OBC voters, the BJP leadership does not want to leave any gaps in its 2027 strategy.
{{/usCountry}}Even though the BJP has reworked its strategy after forming the government for a second consecutive term, bringing the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) back into its fold and accommodating leaders of Apna Dal (S) and the Nishad Party in the government to consolidate its hold over OBC voters, the BJP leadership does not want to leave any gaps in its 2027 strategy.
{{/usCountry}}“Apathy among party workers, particularly those working at the booth level, is a major concern among BJP leaders. Booth committee presidents were conspicuous by their absence from meetings organised by the BJP state unit in several districts. MLAs were directed to hold meetings with booth committees to resolve the issue and activate them before the assembly elections,” said a BJP state unit vice-president familiar with the developments at the party meeting.
Both Santhosh and Tawde held review and feedback meetings in Lucknow and Kanpur with leaders and office-bearers, including local MPs, MLAs, district presidents, secretaries and leaders of various frontal organisations, to get a sense of the election from the ground.
In Kanpur, a local office-bearer drew the attention of the BJP leaders to the lack of response from the local administration to issues raised by BJP leaders. Santhosh told the BJP leader that rather than going to police stations, they should focus on strengthening the organisation.
Along with countering the Opposition narrative, leaders and office-bearers have been told to focus on new voters, especially youth and women. Along with highlighting the shortcomings of the Samajwadi Party government, party leaders have been asked to promote the achievements of the BJP government. They have also been asked to connect with voters through WhatsApp and update them about welfare and development schemes launched by the BJP government.
“Over four months are left in the assembly election. We should reach households to motivate voters to support the BJP in the election,” Santhosh said.
During an interaction with local leaders and office-bearers of the Gorakhpur region on Thursday, Tawde asked them about the defeat of party candidates in Azamgarh, Mau and Basti districts in the 2022 assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and the strategy to regain the vote base that had paved the way for the BJP’s victories in the 2017 assembly and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The 62 assembly seats in the Gorakhpur region are crucial for the BJP in the upcoming assembly election. In Gorakhpur division, the BJP was in a comfortable position, bagging 27 of the 28 assembly seats.
Along with holding meetings with MPs, MLAs, the regional president, district presidents and other office-bearers, Tawde will also hold meetings with grassroots workers, media in-charges, co-media in-charges and social media in-charges of various districts during his two-day stay in Gorakhpur.
Gorakhpur region president Vinod Rai said Tawde’s visit to Gorakhpur was important for the party. “His guidance and interaction with workers and office-bearers at various levels will help make organisational activities more effective in the region,” he said.