Maharashtra polls 2024: BJP goes beyond surveys, seeks local leaders' feedback

Union ministers Bhupendra Yadav and Ashwini Vaishnaw have asked local leaders to develop a mechanism to get feedback from constituencies

MUMBAI: After the setback in the Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party has now taken the decision to no longer depend solely on the surveys they conduct ahead of the elections, but instead focus on local-level assessments of the party’s position. This was conveyed to the state leaders by the party’s election in-charge, union ministers Bhupendra Yadav and Ashwini Vaishnaw, who asked them to develop a mechanism to get feedback from constituencies for an accurate assessment.

Ashwini Vaishnaw is one of the two senior leaders charged with creating a strategy for the upcoming polls in Maharashtra. (FILE)

The state leadership has been also asked to shortlist five names of probable candidates in each constituency by talking to party officer bearers, district presidents, former legislators, and heads of the cooperative bodies at the tehsil level. This was discussed by Yadav and Vaishnaw during the core committee meetings held in Mumbai over the last two days where the state leadership was also informed that the party would not rely solely on surveys conducted by professional agencies alone.

“The party has realised that the loss in the Lok Sabha was also because of the wrong surveys. Yadavji has told us that this time the party does not want to fully depend on the surveys. Instead, the state leaders have been asked to get feedback from local leaders and shortlist five names for candidature, from which the final name would be picked. While taking the call on the candidate, the survey results would also be considered, but the decision would not be based only on it,” said a senior party leader.

The decision was influenced by the numerous complaints about the surveys and their results in the last LS polls.

At the same time, the state leaders are also wary of the pressure tactics of its ally, Shiv Sena-led by chief minister Eknath Shinde. The leaders told the election in-charge that central leadership should not come under pressure from Shinde, like it happened during the last LS elections. They also voiced their concern at the non-cooperation from local level workers of the Shinde-led Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP.

“In 40 constituencies, local leaders and workers of the BJP are unhappy as they are not likely to get an opportunity in the upcoming Assembly polls, as these seats will be conceded to the ally. The loyal party workers have been working relentlessly for years, and especially against the NCP and Congress. Hence, they view Ajit Pawar’s inclusion in the ruling alliance as the end of their political career. This too was discussed in the core committee meetings,” the party leader said.

After taking a review of 150 Assembly constituencies on Thursday, the core committee, which comprised of deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, ministers Chandrakant Patil, Girish Mahajan, former state unit chief Raosaheb Danve, former chief minister Ashok Chavan, former minister Pankaja Munde, and Harshavardhan Patil, reviewed the party’s prospects in the other 138 constituencies.

“Though the party is firm on fighting the assembly polls as a three-party alliance, preparations have been going on in all the constituencies. The elective merits of the sitting MLAs are also being reviewed to take a decision on their renomination. In the backdrop of the unrest among Marathas and OBCs, the party leadership will have to consider the caste combination in the constituencies while finalising the list of candidates,” the party leader said.

BJP state unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule expressed his unhappiness on Friday about reports in a section of media about bickering between the allies and brought thiss up for dicussion in the core committee meeting. “There are reports that some of our leaders complained about the allies about non-cooperation during the Lok Sabha election. In fact, none of the leaders spoke about the allies in the core committee meeting. We have decided to fight the Assembly polls collectively as Mahayuti and the distribution of seats would be on the basis of elective merit,” Bawankule said.