Eye on 2017 polls: Maurya tours 25 districts in one month to ‘stir things on ground’

Next week, he is scheduled to visit Hardoi, Shahjahanpur, Bareilly, Rampur and Moradabad. In Moradabad, besides holding meeting with party workers, Maurya is also scheduled to address public rallies in favour of the Bilari Assembly bypoll candidate. Later, he will take part in bypoll meetings in Jangipur seat of Ghazipur. Maurya, meanwhile, is also attending the Parliament as he is the MP from Phulpur.

Earlier, Maurya had travelled to Allahabad, Kaushambi, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh, Mirzapur, Varanasi, Agra, Mathura, Jhansi, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Mahoba, Kanpur, Unnao and Ghaziabad districts. He had also shared stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ballia during the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana on May 1.

The PM had went on to praise Maurya from the stage by calling him a young leader who has dedicated his life for social service.

Sources said Maurya visiting the districts is part of BJP’s strategy to strengthen its organisation, declare district presidents and consult top leaders on selecting members of the new state team.

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“The new state president is young and active and has the ability to execute these crucial tasks simultaneously. Doing all these jobs simultaneously is necessary because UP is already in the election mode… and it is very important for BJP to win as many seats as possible. In the current scenario, the new state chief cannot afford to operate only from Lucknow,” said a party leader.

Maurya is reportedly also under pressure to declare the new state committee at the earliest so that its members could be assigned with responsibilities keeping an eye on the 2017 polls. Sources said that during his interactions in the districts, Maurya is keeping an eye on those who could be part of his state team.

When contacted, Maurya said him visiting the districts and interacting with party workers is a habit. “I plan to cover every district as soon as possible… The state team is my priority. I plan to announce the new team by May 31,” he added.

In Basti on Sunday, Maurya asked party workers to take a pledge to making the state free from SP and BSP and repeat the performance of 2014 Lok Sabha elections “when BJP made the country free from the rule of Congress”.
Later, addressing workers in Gorakhpur, Maurya said: “A BJP-led government was required in UP for the development of the state. The SP was a single-family party while BSP was a one-person party. But BJP has a democratic set up where a common worker can get organisational posts and contest elections.”

He also offered prayers at Gorakhnath temple. On Saturday, a former VHP leader, Maurya had visited Ayodhya and offered prayers at the makeshift Ram temple. He later said he sought blessings from his ‘Ishtdeo’ Lord Ram to achieve the target of ‘265 plus’ seats in the 2017 polls. He was also welcomed by VHP leaders at Karsevakpuram.