BJP takes tech route to reach out to electorate
The BJP is planning to strengthen its booths across Gujarat before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by using ‘Saral-app’—a mobile application to share information about the party with the workers. Sources said, Gujarat BJP president CR Patil has asked party workers to work to ensure all 26 Lok Sabha seats go to the BJP kitty and with a handsome margin. In a step towards achieving this target, the BJP has asked all Panna Pramukh (manager of a page of voter list) to download Saral-app and register voter’s names. A blue tick gets marked once the name is registered and the party wants blue ticks in front of all the names.
BJP MP proving to be a liability for party
With Lok Sabha polls approaching, the state BJP seems to be wary of its own MP Mansukh Vasava as he has been targeting the BJP government over various issues including liquor smuggling and distribution in dry Gujarat. Speaking at a public event in Narmada district recently, the Bharuch MP struck controversy by saying the state police collect `35 lakh a month in bribes from bootleggers in Dediapada, besides giving patronage to liquor mafias. A leader, on condition of anonymity, said, “The party is afraid of Mansukh Bhai as no one even criticises him. No BJP member is even prepared to respond to his allegations.”
Many in BJP fail to get India-Pak match ticket
Even though the India-Pakistan match was played in Ahmedabad, some Gujarat BJP leaders were left disappointed. According to sources, prominent leaders were pushing hard for the free VVIP tickets being provided by the party – for their loyalists as well as family members. But the efforts of most went in vain. After the match, an anguished leader claimed that a select few did manage to get the VVIP tickets while others did not. Many women workers of the party were also disheartened, sources said, as they failed to receive the free tickets distributed by BJP MPs from the state exclusively for women.
Dilip Singh Kshatriya
Our correspondent in Gujarat
dilipsingh@ newindianexpress.com