For UP 2017, BJP recalls Amit Shah’s Lok Sabha ‘campaign model’

“In the interaction programme with the new 1.80 crore members during the two-month-long ‘Mahasampark Abhiyan’ (beginning May 1), training and information on the party’s constitution and ideology will be imparted. After the interaction, party will form committees for 94,000 booths. My target is to form at least one lakh booth committees where party will have cadre-based organisation,” BJP’s incumbent state in-charge Om Mathur told The Indian Express. He added that there are around 1.40 lakh booths in UP with at least 94,000 of them manned by a ‘booth pravasi’.

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Amit Shah, as the UP in-charge for the Lok Sabha elections, had formed booth-level committees assigning workers the responsibility to conduct party programmes and tell voters about the party’s promises through the door-to-door campaign.

Taking cue from that, Mathur said the party will appoint a “booth palak” (in-charge) who cannot be removed by any senior leader. “I will personally be in touch with all booth ‘pravasis’ and ‘palaks’ who will report about the party’s work at the lowest organisational level,” Mathur added.

Party has also decided to hold caste- and community-based meetings during which people will be informed about the Central government’s achievements and the party’s plan for the state if it comes to power.

“These meetings will be held as per the social and demographic conditions in different parts of the state,” Mathur said. He has called a meeting of all 90 district presidents of the party on April 28 where he will plan a political agenda for the state.

Among other measures, Mathur has also has decided to form a team of 20 workers which will monitor the election campaign and report to the top leadership on the “issues” regularly.

Mathur was on a four day-tour of Lucknow till Saturday where he held meeting with party workers. He called meeting of former MPs, MLAs and chairmen of district panchayats seeking their support in training of workers and ‘Mahasampark Abhiyan’.

“Amit Shah as state in-charge had taken such steps before Lok Sabha polls to seek support of the experienced leaders to form booth-level teams. During the polls, entire party cadre worked for the organisation, putting aside infighting and groupism, which resulted in BJP winning 71 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats and two other seats by the ally Apna Dal,” said a senior party leader.

Mathur said that he will decide on a separate place where the party’s state leaders can meet and address the problems of workers. He had recently held meeting of all former state presidents in Mirzapur who were complaining about being sidelined in the party.