KOLKATA: Taking cue from Delhi election where BJP’s poll strategy didn’t work against AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal’s campaign showcasing developments in the national capital, the saffron camp in Bengal has too now decided to highlight the progress in BJP-dominated municipalities in other states ahead of the upcoming civic polls in the state.
BJP sources said the decision was taken after party’s national leadership instructed to showcase governance issues as primary agenda in civic poll campaigns, instead of the controversial Citizen Amendment Act (CAA). The saffron camp’s Bengal leadership already has started collecting data and examples of how BJP-run municipalities are working to ensure civic amenities in place in other states. A BJP leader in the state said not dominating a single municipality in Bengal would result in benefitting the party in the civic polls.
“The Trinamool Congress will not be able to showcase our failure in running a civic body in the state. Instead, we are in a position to raise the governance issues and highlight common people’s bitter experience during Trinamool regime as civic body heads,” said another leader of the party. Bengal BJP leaders, however, said they would focus on the controversial the CAA issue in poll campaign. However, there issues would be given more importance.
“We will not showcase the amended Citizenship Act as our prime agenda, but we will mention it in our poll campaigns. It is because there are several civic bodies located in such areas which are dominated by those who had migrated from Bangladesh before and during Partitions. The issue highlighting the new Act will help us to consolidate a section of voters,’’ said another BJP leader.