LUCKNOW: In a bid to take feedback from party functionaries and also RSS brass about ground situation prevailing in country's politically most crucial state of Uttar Pradesh and also to chart out a strategic course for a 2014 redux in 2019 general elections, BJP chief Amit Shah presided over a six-hour marathon coordination meeting here on Wednesday.
The meeting, held at a city resort, was attended by CM Yogi Adityanath, his two deputies -- Keshav Maurya and Dinesh Sharma, senior ministers and party functionaries, including UP BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey, general secretary (organisation) Sunil Bansal. Moreover, party's national general secretaries Ram Lal and Bhupendra Yadav had also come to attend the meeting.
Even senior office bearers of RSS including its all sahsarkaryawahaks representing six regions in UP besides Dattatreya Hosbole and Dr Krishna Gopal were also present in the 'manthan'. According to sources privy to the meeting, the BJP chief was apprised about some of the parliamentary constituencies where the party was seemingly weak against the prospective combined opposition comprising SP and BSP.
The RSS functionaries provided Amit Shah their feedback about prevailing impact of the government schemes and welfare programmes at the grass root level. Though talking to media persons after the meeting, Sangh sahsarkaryawahak Dr Krishna Gopal called it a regular routine meeting held to discuss prevailing social conditions, the sources claimed that the Sangh presented a roadmap of programmes to be undertaken to face the challenges likely to be posed by a united opposition.
The senior RSS functionary maintained that the meeting with the BJP chief, essentially, focused on the working of state government and the programmes Sangh was undertaking in the state like expansion of 'Shakhas' and efforts to make Kumbh in Allahabad a grand success. However, the temple issue also, believably, figured in the discussions and it assumes significance as the Supreme Court is set to start day-to-day hearing in the vexed issue from October 29.
"We neither discussed Ayodhya issue nor the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. It was a just a routine meeting," reiterated Dr Krishna Gopal claiming that temple issue was not on meeting agenda. Even Togadia factor was discussed at length ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections, confirmed the sources.The BJP chief also interacted with senior party functionaries, including UP BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey and UP BJP general secretary (organisation) Sunil Bansal. Advocating for a better coordination between the state government and the organisation, the BJP chief called it imperative so that the welfare programmes of the government could reach the grass root level effectively.
This comes amid BJP planning a 'Kamal Jyoti programme' where in at least three crore families benefitted by one or the other government scheme would light a lamp and vow to bring Narendra Modi led government back to power in 2019.With regard to the discussion over an expected reshuffle of Yogi cabinet, party circles were abuzz with the speculations that the BJP had directed all the cabinet ministers to be present in Lucknow on October 29, possibly for a cabinet expansion.