NEW DELHI: With Uttar Pradesh heading for elections in three months, the BJP has drawn in its poll management veterans from all quarters to swing voters in its favour. While BJP leaders from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand have taken positions in the state, party chief Amit Shah’s hand-picked team from Gujarat will soon take up their roles there.
Former Jharkhand CM Arjun Munda has been tasked with Sonabhadra District. Leaders from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have been assigned Bundelkhand region, which accounts for 70 of the 403 Assembly seats.
“Those who can contribute to the success of the party in the polls will participate in the campaign,” said Anil Jain, BJP general secretary. BJP workers from neighbouring states have been camping at the village and block levels. Bihar unit workers will handle 11 districts. “Senior leaders and party workers will join the campaign in Bihar’s bordering districts,” said Mangal Pandey, Bihar BJP chief. Chhattisgarh BJP chief Dharmlal Kaushik and his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Laxman Gilawa are coordinating their teams in UP. They will highlight the contrast in the implementation of the `7,600 crore package for Bundelkhand in UP and Madhya Pradesh. Kaushik has been tasked to bring people from Chhattisgarh who had migrated from UP to share the “good governance and development model” of the BJP government.
“The package was successfully implemented in Madhya Pradesh, while UP could not even spend the funds. Drinking water was sent in trains in the UP parts,” said a senior BJP functionary.
The BJP has learnt from its Bihar poll debacle, which turned into a contest between outsiders and locals. “The Bihar model will not be replicated. Local party workers will remain in-charge of polling booths in every Assembly seat,” said Rameshwar Chourasia, state BJP co-incharge.