NEW DELHI: With electioneering in the national capital entering the advanced stage, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to weave its poll strategy around ‘nationalism’ and ‘Hindutva’.
Instead of going all out to highlight the Centre’s decision granting ownership rights for properties in unauthorised colonies and failure of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government as planned earlier, the party leaders will put ‘emphasis’ on the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), abrogation of Article 370 and 35A and construction of Ram Mandir in meetings and padyatras (marches).
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“The Opposition has created a lot of confusion over CAA, which has resulted into violence. It in the meeting held with top leadership, it was felt that BJP need to go to public and explain the repealing of Articles 370 and 35A, triple talaq, as well as the CAA. These are achievements of our government at the Centre,” said a senior party functionary.
Previously, the saffron party had planned to corner the AAP government on the issue of delay in regularisation of illegal colonies built on government and agricultural land and redevelopment of slum clusters.
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Senior party leaders have already started discussing these issues with people in public gatherings and door-to-door campaign, said the party functionary.
According to party leaders associated with poll preparations, around 5,000 ‘small rallies’ are planned over the next two weeks.
“On Thursday, Amit Shah will address two similar gatherings and attend Padyatra in Matiala, Uttam Nagar and Nagloi Jat assembly segments,” said a Delhi BJP leader.
According to the list of 40-star campaigners released on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president JP Nadda, party general secretary (organisation) BL Santosh, the Union home minister, and CMs — Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh), Manohar Lal Khattar (Haryana), Trivendra Singh Rawat (Uttrakhand) and Jai Ram Thakur (Himachal Pradesh) — will lead party rallies.
15-20 meets on BJP anvil
A BJP functionary said, “We are planning 15-20 meetings or padyatras featuring Shah and Nadda. The PM will address one big rally, which is being planned in a constituency home to illegal colonies