BHOPAL: Keeping in view the BJP's penetration till the level of the polling booth, the Madhya Pradesh Congress has designed a strategy for definitive booth level management in all 27 assembly constituencies going to by-polls in the coming months.
A group of effective booth level managers will train the Congress workers in booth level management in the state starting by the end of this month. Spearheading the training programme will be Congress leader from neighbouring Chhattisgarh Karuna Shukla -- the niece of former Prime Minister and possibly one of BJP's strongest leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Former MP minister Sajjan Singh Verma, while confirming the booth level training programme, told The New Indian Express that as Karuna Shukla played important role in Congress's 2018 assembly poll win in Chhattisgarh through efficient booth level management, hence she will be among the leaders who will train our workers in poll-related booth level management ahead of the crucial by-polls.
"It's been seen that in many seats where Congress was far ahead three days prior to elections, the result ultimately went the BJP's way. In-depth analysis showed BJP's better booth level management just before and on polling day was the clincher," said Verma.
It's to address this lacuna only that the comprehensive booth level training program is being finalised for all 27 assembly segments. "Our trainers will not only strengthen our booth level workers performance but also detail about the nuts and bolts of BJP's booth-level management. What better way to learn about BJP"s poll management than from its past insider Karuna Shukla, who originally hails from the Gwalior-Chambal where majority of by-elections will take place," said Verma.
The 70-year-old Karuna Shukla was the BJP's Lok Sabha member from Janjgir seat of Chhattisgarh between 2004 and 2009 but lost in 2009 from Korba. She quit the BJP in October 2013 and joined the Congress four months later.
In 2014, she lost from Bilaspur Lok Sabha seat on Congress ticket.
The Congress fielded her from Rajnandgaon against then CM Raman Singh in 2018 assembly polls. Shukla, however, lost the battle against Singh.
Karuna Shukla's involvement in Congress booth level training programme ahead of assembly polls in MP also assumes significance as her cousin and ex-MP minister Anup Mishra is likely to be fielded by BJP from Jaura assembly seat of Morena district -- one of the 16 seats of Gwalior Chambal region, where by-polls are scheduled in coming months.