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Ruling party, govt start showcasing unity ahead of UP polls
When state BJP chief Swatantra Dev addressed ministers of the Yogi government on Monday about the party’s outreach plan at Lok Bhawan in the presence of the CM, it was to many within the BJP, yet another indication that the party and the government had begun making visible moves to showcase unity ahead of the 2022 UP polls
When state BJP chief Swatantra Dev addressed ministers of the Yogi government on Monday about the party’s outreach plan at Lok Bhawan in the presence of the CM, it was to many within the BJP, yet another indication that the party and the government had begun making visible moves to showcase unity ahead of the 2022 UP polls.
During his unprecedented three-day feedback sessions in Lucknow that ended June 2, BJP general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh had in his one-to-one meetings with UP ministers and party functionaries, stressed on the need for putting up a united front ahead of the assembly elections.
Thus, the presence of state BJP chief at the chief minister’s office, one where the two leaders jointly tasked the ministers with the exercise of camping in villages and blocks under their charge, connecting with cadres and collecting feedback of government schemes has its own significance, a party leader said.
A day after this joint meeting, the state government on Tuesday asked all departments to provide list of vacancies especially in boards and corporations.
“The party and the government are expected to jointly decide accommodating party cadres to these bodies— yet another example of the government opening to the need of adjusting cadres and keeping them in good humour,” a BJP leader said who described the exercise as “satta aur sangthan ka samanvay (coordination between the party and the government)”.
The collective show assumes important as before the assembly elections, the BJP also faces the task of doing well in the indirect leg of the panchayat polls.
After having seen the opposition Samajwadi Party do better in direct elections to the 3,050 zila panchayat ward members, the BJP, having stood second, is now looking to even the score in the indirect round of polls where elected zila panchayat ward members would vote for the 75 zila panchayat chairpersons.
The BJP has been busy patting its own back claiming as compared to 2015, it had vastly improved its performance in the zila panchayat ward members’ elections. “We reduced the dominance of the Samajwadi Party that used to sweep these polls earlier,” said Swatantra Dev.
“We will win majority in these rural polls for zila panchayat chairpersons and then get a majority in the UP assembly polls too,” said deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya who was also present during the Tuesday’s briefing by chief minister and state BJP chief.
“It has been jointly decided that ministers and party functionaries would undertake joint or simultaneous tours of the state, connecting with the masses and popularising government initiatives,” a BJP leader said.
“While party chief Swatantra ji has already started visiting homes of the cadres who died of Covid-19, UP general secretary (organisation) Sunil Bansal is fine tuning the party’s—seva hi sangathan—the mega outreach initiative, which that has already been rolled out and which gathered steam after BL Santhosh’s feedback sessions,” said the BJP leader. This BJP leader said the programmes of the party functionaries and ministers would be chalked out in consultation with party general secretary (organisation) Sunil Bansal.
“All stakeholders from the chief minister to key BJP leaders and senior ministers would be on board on all key decisions. In the run-up to the elections, you would see more such joint briefings,” another party leader said.
