After winning a majority in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections and the Legislative Council, the UP BJP on Saturday launched a state-wide training programme for its functionaries to “groom their personality and make them aware of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliates”, with an eye on the coming elections — the urban local body polls later this year and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In the next seven days, the party will hold training sessions across all 98 organisational districts, and a three-day training programme in 15 sessions in each district. According to sources, the party has shortlisted senior party leaders with RSS backgrounds to address the cadres on 13 topics. In the first session, the senior party leaders will dwell upon the history of the saffron party and its rise to power at the Centre and in various states. In the next session, the cadres will learn about the RSS, its affiliates and their importance to the party. At the personality grooming session, they will learn how to stay updated on current affairs, about welfare and development schemes of the government and speak to people about these programmes gently. They will be trained on how to interact with the media and use social media. The functionaries will also learn about the changes that the BJP has brought about in the country since coming to power at the Centre with an absolute majority in 2014. “A discussion on ‘the role of BJP in the changed political and global scenario’ will be an important topic that will be taken up during the training session. For example, they must understand the NDA government's stand on the war between Russia and Ukraine. The leadership wants our cadres to remain updated as BJP is leading governments at the Centre and in UP,” said a party leader. According to party sources, such training sessions are generally organised for new members after a membership drive, which is held after every three years. Ahead of the recent Assembly polls, the BJP added 80 lakh new members during a special drive in November and December last year, taking the total number of registered party members in the state to 2.9 crore. But the training programme that commenced on Saturday in many districts, including Etawah and Varanasi, is not exclusively for the newly added members. It is being organised for office bearers at the level of district and mandal units. BJP state president Swatantra Dev Singh said, “Training of workers should be conducted regularly. It is not related either to membership or elections. In BJP, workers are trained regularly.”
