Shimla, Sep 8: Already into the poll mode, the core group of the state BJP held a meeting in Chandigarh to discuss election issues and prepare a roadmap for ensuring the victory of the party in the Assembly elections.The top brass of the leadership deliberated on important issues in the presence of election-in-charge and Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot, in-charge of party affairs and minister in the Bihar Government Mangal Pandey and organisational secretary Pawan Rana.
With BJP president Amit Shah looking into all party related issues in poll-bound Himachal, today’s meeting is being considered significant. All senior leaders, including former CM and Leader of the Opposition PK Dhumal, former CM and Kangra MP Shanta Kumar, Union Health Minister JP Nadda and state BJP president Satpal Singh Satti, attended the meeting.
The core group reportedly constituted various committees – election manifesto committee, campaign and publicity committee and election management committee — so that the party gets a head start in the elections.“Besides preparing the roadmap for the Assembly elections, the core group also discussed the names of candidates to be fielded from some of the segments,” said sources. The possibility of shortlisting the names of candidates from about 20 Assembly segments, where the BJP has not won for a long time, could not be ruled out.
This is being done with the objective that the candidate will get more time to campaign. Some of these segments, where BJP has now won, include Rampur in Shimla, Darang in Mandi and Nagrota Bagwan in Kangra.
The parliamentary in-charge and organising secretary are the ones who have been asked to suggest the names of suitable candidates who can take on the established Congress leadership in some of its traditional bastions. The central leadership is keen that the party focuses on these segments so that the BJP can wrest these seats from the ruling party.The issue of ticket allotment is likely to be done on the basis of the recommendations of the group and the feedback that has been taken on the basis of surveys undertaken by the central leadership.
The BJP, which has undertaken several yatras, is likely to launch its campaign by roping in its popular faces, some of whom have already visited the state in connection with party programmes. Amit Shah and Modi are likely to visit the state to enthuse party workers and put the BJP in the election mode.
Source Tribune India
