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Uttar Pradesh polls: BL Santhosh holds feedback sessions in Lucknow, Kanpur
BJP's BL Santhosh held meetings in UP to gather feedback on party dynamics ahead of the 2027 elections, addressing recent challenges and strategies.
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As the BJP steps up its organisational preparedness for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, the party’s national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh on Saturday held marathon meetings in the state capital and Kanpur to seek feedback on ground realities and shortcomings that the party faces on the road to the polls.
In Lucknow, he first met four former state presidents – Bhupendra Chaudhary, Ramapati Ram Tripathi, Swatantra Dev Singh and Surya Pratap Shahi. Sources said former state presidents shared their assessment of organisational strength in different regions, the impact of recent incidents that helped the opposition build a narrative against the BJP, including the UGC equity guidelines row, GenZ protests, quota anger, the “powerless MLA” jibe and suggestions to counter it.
State general secretary (organisation) Dharampal Singh, state in-charge of the party Vinod Tawde and co-incharge Jagdish Patel were also present in addition to the state media team, including the chief state spokesperson.
The second meeting was with all the newly appointed state general secretaries.
“The focus was on the 2027 assembly polls in both meetings. He took feedback from us on ground realities for the BJP in the aftermath of the UGC and quota protest,” said a senior BJP leader who was present at the meeting.
Santhosh sought feedback on whether there was resentment against the party among the masses, especially among the youth, upper castes and students in the political scenario that unfolded over the last two months following the NEET paper leak row, the UGC protest, and the job quota issue raised by youth.
The feedback sessions will continue in the coming days as Santosh tours different regions before submitting a report to the central leadership.
Santhosh briefed general secretaries on making the month-long Seva Sankalp campaign from September 17 to October 17 a success to mark 25 years of PM Narendra Modi’s public life.
Leaders said feedback taken on Saturday will be factored into the strategy for Rajya Sabha and MLC (teachers’ and graduates’ constituency) polls where names are being finalised, and for the 2027 roadmap.
Santhosh, who had attended the core committee meeting on Friday night with Yogi, state BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary, deputy CMs Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, left for Kanpur in the evening.
In Kanpur, he held discussions with all sitting MPs from the Kanpur-Bundelkhand region as well as those who had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and lost their seats. MLAs and MLCs from the region also met him and shared feedback on the political and organisational situation.
The consultations also included district presidents and general secretaries from districts covering the region’s 52 assembly constituencies.
He briefed the leaders about the programmes the BJP plans to undertake in the coming weeks, with the focus on strengthening the organisation and ensuring that its programmes reach the booth level.
Santhosh will meet booth presidents of the Govind Nagar assembly constituency on Sunday. The booth-level functionaries will be briefed on how to take the party’s programmes to the ground and will also receive training for the task.
