HUBBALLI: The
BJP has already begun preparations for the
Lok Sabha and Urban Local Bodies (ULB) elections.
Its state unit is already involved in collecting opinions of booth-level workers on the performance of representatives and possible candidates, in seats where non-BJP candidates are in power.
Mahesh Angadi, BJP city vice-president in
Koppal, told STOI that booth-level workers have been receiving calls for around 20 days. "When we were busy with the assembly election campaign, we received a call from the party office in Bengaluru."
They spoke to me for 42 minutes and discussed preparations for the ULB election. They sought our opinion on the performance of sitting municipality members and possible candidates for wards, which are currently represented by non-BJP members. Our state unit has all data with names, cell phone numbers, email ID of booth level workers, number of voters at a booth etc. We were stunned to know that the caller had these details for our convenience, he said.
He said the caller advised them to start creating awareness on the Centre's schemes. "We were advised to visit voters and help new voters enroll with the Election Commission," he said.
A worker in Shirahatti, Gadag district, said on condition of anonymity, that he had got a call from Bengaluru 10 days ago.
"They asked about performance of Haveri MP Shivakumar Udasi. We brought it to the caller's notice that farmers of our constituency have not yet received the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana amount, while our counterparts in Dharwad have got it long ago. Otherwise we gave top scoring for
Udasi's performance," he said.
Distr ict convener of the
Hubballi-Dharwad City District BJP said the party high command has instructed the state unit to conduct an internal survey wherever the party's performance is found weak. "It's just an exercise to keep workers alert. However, hardcore BJP workers are mentally prepared for ULB, Lok Sabha, MLC or any type of elections," he said, requesting anonymity. However, Hanumantappa Doddamani, spokesman, Hubballi-Dharwad City District BJP unit, defended that the internal survey is not targeted at any particular representative.
"The survey is focused on how to strengthen things in the coming elections and maintain contact with voters. It's a nat ural process in the BJP but now it's adopting innovative methods for the steady improvement of the party," was his analysis.
