‘RSS cadres shrinking’,so BJP turns to booth committees

They have also been told to visit districts and verify the existence of booth committees. Interestingly,there is no place for booth committees in the BJP constitution.

Sources in the BJP said the party’s special focus on booth committees has much to do with the shrinking base of the RSS in the countryside.

“The RSS workers were in good numbers in the past. But there has been a sharp decline across the state lately. This presents a new challenge for the BJP,” the source said. Although BJP spokesperson Hriday Narayan Dixit said the booth committees were nothing new,sources said this was the first time in two decades that the party had taken up the task of constituting booth committees and verifying their physical existence much in advance of elections.

“It was the late Sundar Singh Bhandari who,as in charge of party affairs in the state,had introduced the system of constituting booth committees in early 1980s. His slogan was ‘one booth,20 youths’. Later,the BJP developed the habit of setting up booth committees only during the election time,” recalled a BJP leader.

Now a booth committee consists of at least 15 active members. The sector committees accommodate 10 to 15 booth committees. “Above the sector committees,there are mandal committees in every district. A district has at least 10 mandal committees,” said a party leader.

During senior leaders’ visits to districts,the heads of booth committees are invited for a meeting at the district headquarters where they are given directions for strengthening the party’s base.

Besides,the heads of booth committees are asked to identify voters who are pro-BJP,make a list of those who are anti-BJP,and try to win over who can be influenced by the party.