BJP chalks out plan to focus on 32 LS seats in Maharashtra ahead of general polls

Last year, the party had rolled out Lok Sabha Pravas drive to concentrate on 16 Lok Sabha constituencies were never won by the BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra has chalked out a state level programme to concentrate on 32 Lok Sabha seats in order to achieve their mission of winning 45 seats in next year’s general elections.

BJP supporters attending a public rally in this file photo. (PTI photo)

This development comes in the backdrop of the surveys and feedback the party received from the voters in recent surveys.

Last year, the party had rolled out Lok Sabha Pravas drive to concentrate on 16 Lok Sabha constituencies were never won by the BJP.

The party broke them into four clusters of four seats each and roped in union ministers including Nirmala Sitharaman, Anurag Thakur, Ajay Mishra, Prahlad Singh Patel among others.

The union ministers have been mandated to hold at least six visits of three days each in one and half years until the Lok Sabha elections.

The 16 constituencies are focused upon to achieve party’s mission of winning 45 seats in Lok Sabha.

The state unit of BJP has now planned out a similar drive to concentrate on the remaining 32 seats, some of which are represented by 13 MPs of Shiv Sena led by chief minister Eknath Shinde.

According to the BJP leaders, the party will have to contest more seats than they did in 2019 to win maximum seats.

“We had contested 25 seats and won 23 while, undivided Sena won 18 by contesting in 23 seats. However, we cannot retain the combined number of 42 unless maximum seats are contested on the BJP symbol and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pull. As such, the drive is a preparation in the run up to the elections,” said a BJP leader.

“State ministers and key leaders of the party have been given the responsibility of these constituencies that have been divided into the clusters of the four constituencies. The leaders will tour the constituencies several times, hold meetings with the workers, local level office bearers, review the outreach programme, taking state and central government schemes to the citizens,” said Shrikant Bharatiya, election in-charge of the party.

Bharatiya said that the party has not been eyeing the MPs from the Shinde faction.

“We have been strengthening all the 48 constituencies and it will prove beneficial to the candidates from the Shinde’s Shiv Sena,” he said.