LUCKNOW: Giving impetus to its preparations for Mission 2027, the UP BJP is contemplating an extensive outreach exercise to bring influential people from different walks of life into its fold and reconnect with sulking party leaders who have allegedly been neglected over the years.
As per the party insiders, district presidents have been asked to prepare these lists featuring potential entrants from each Mandal. The list should have neglected former party functionaries and influential personalities who could be approached as part of the outreach exercise.
All such lists will be forwarded to the state party headquarters where senior leaders will examine them and take a further call.
The organisational meeting on Saturday came a day after Union home minister Amit Shah, addressing the BJP state executive committee meeting in Lucknow on Friday, laid down the party’s political and organisational agenda for the 2027 assembly elections.
A senior party leader said that such a decision was taken on Saturday at party’s organisational meeting chaired by state party president Pankaj Chaudhary. National general secretary and UP in-charge Vinod Tawde and state general secretary (organisation) Dharampal Singh were also present in the meeting.
The district presidents were asked to prepare separate lists of people interested in joining the party, categorising them into those willing to join without seeking an assembly ticket and those aspiring to contest the 2027 polls.
In the meeting, it was also decided that former district presidents, MLAs, MPs and other old party functionaries who have remained inactive or feel neglected would be identified. Party leaders will personally contact them, address their grievances and bring them back into action.
"There was a time when those not holding formal positions in the organisation were also left without any work, a practice the party now wants to change," said a senior UP BJP leader privy to the meeting.
Moreover, a district-wise list of influential people from different sectors including lawyers, doctors, traders, industrialists and intellectuals, would also be chalked out. Influential opposition leaders who are not particularly active in their respective parties will also be identified and approached.
The outreach will not be limited to inviting these people to join the BJP. Party functionaries will maintain repeated contact with them, listen to their grievances against the government and the party, and make efforts to address their concerns to secure their support.
Party workers attending the deliberations said the BJP was now fully in election mode, with the leadership focusing on strengthening its organisational base, expanding its social outreach and ensuring that no influential leader or potential supporter remained outside its engagement network.
According to another senior party leader, the outreach exercise is the result of the feedback which the party got after a survey indicating that a sizeable number of party workers and others had grievances against the party, the government or both.
"The intent of the party behind such an outreach exercise is to address the grievances against it and correct the perception ahead of the 2027 assembly elections," he added.
