Holding Tight: Jadda and Kumar in an election rally in New Delhi
Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, August 23
Besides Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would be banking on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in the campaign trail for the ensuing state polls.
The state leaders had been asked to make door to door campaign and seek votes on the basis of the achievements of Narendra Modi government at the Centre and Nitish Kumar’s in Bihar. The direction came at the two days meeting of the state executive committee and office-bearers of BJP that concluded on Sunday.
Party President J P Nadda chaired the meeting. He hoped with LJP and JDU, the NDA will capture three-fourth of the 243 seats in Bihar assembly.
The BJP President said the campaign would be a blend of NAMO (Narendra Modi) and NIKU (Nitish Kumar). The move contests the BJP’s 2015 election campaign that was not only Modi centric but also anti-Nitish as a section of BJP leaders even quizzed his DNA.
Five years ago, LJP was poll partner of BJP like 2020. JDU in 2015 was in alliance with RJD.
Nadda in his valedictory address telecast from New Delhi said NDA would contest the elections under the leadership of Nitish Kumar. He asked the leaders to convince the electorate about the gains made by them since Lockdown in March.
Holding elections during Corona crisis is a challenge, he said and suggested the Rs 20 lakh crores economic package, Rs 1.20 lakh crores scheme for migrant workers, opening of isolation centres should be adequately publicised during the door to door campaign.
Nadda recommended the party workers to contact the beneficiaries of union government’s welfare schemes through the Aasha workers, Aanganwadi workers and migrant workers who were getting Rs 1,000 per month from the Centre.
Both level workers should be influenced to ensure the people in rural areas were enrolled on the musters of MNRGEA by October. People shlould be reminded it was because of the decision of Narendra Modi that free ration was assured for the rural poor till November.
To woo the voters, farmers and government employees who played an active role in Corona control should be honoured by the BJP, he asked
Earlier, former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis who inaugurated the meeting through video conference from Mumbai said the Prime Minister’s letter to Mahendra Singh Dhoni on his retirement from active cricket should also be told to the voters to tell them PM cares for everyone.
Party leaders authorised the state president, Sanjay Jaiswal to constitute the state election committee and state election campaign committee and other panels. Only leaders from New Delhi and Mumbai spoke, no member of the executive spoke.
In his talks with the state general secretary (Organisation), Nagendra Ji, BJP general secretary Bhupinder Yadav advised him to ensure the ministers from BJP quota in state visited rural areas. There were complaints that only a couple of ministers visit their constituencies.
Booth level workers have been asked to display their name plates at their residences within a month. Today’s, meeting was attended by deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, Nand Kishore Yadav (PWD minister), Prem Kumar (Agriculture minister) and health minister Mangal Pandey.
Meanwhile, the BJP President postponed his scheduled visit to Patna on August 29 and would come for campaign once the lockdown was lifted.
The state government has extended lockdown till September 6. He had last visited Patna before total lockdown was imposed on March 22.
