State BJP upbeat ahead of Amit Shah’s visit

BJP national president Amit Shah who has been given status of ‘State Guest’ by the Government during his Wednesday visit is expected to guide the party leaders, office bearers and workers across Jharkhand ahead of the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for next year. The State unit of the party already loaded with the tasks assigned to them during and after Shah’s previous visit of the State is to showcase its actual achievements.

A senior party leader who holds the post of general secretary requested for anonymity before saying about the jobs given to him. “I have to arrange preparatory meetings with all block and district presidents of the BJP, before the national president comes. They have been told to come up with the list of booth level managers or panna pamukhs. Their works done about strengthening the party to the grass root levels would be verified and examined so that we can repeat success of 2014 once again in Jharkhand,” he said.

Notably the party surfing on the nationwide Modi wave during the last general elections had pocketed 12 out of 14 Lok Sabha seats on offer leaving just two to the arch rival JMM in the State. This time as well the party is treating the JMM as a main force to reckon with in the State.

“We have been asked about the strategy to counter the grand alliance coming up in the leadership of the JMM in Jharkhand. MLAs coming from JMM’s stronghold like Santhal Pargana have to do even better. The party workers during the visit would be told about counter narrative the Opposition is building against the Modi Government and the Das Government, especially on the issue of land here in Jharkhand,” said BJP’s Rajmahal MLA Anant Ojha.

It is learnt that during the series of meetings with Amit Shah the BJP leaders and workers would be shown with the help of power point presentations about how to reply to the searching questions over land acquisition issue and amendments done into the 2013 Act. “This is indeed going to be one of the main agendas. Also, the party workers would be told to focus more on the achievements of the Government such as hike done in minimum support price in kharif, ujjwala scheme under which special attention is given to tribal areas and the scheme for providing power connection to all,” he added.

This apart, Shah is also expected to give lessons about ‘social engineering’ considering considerable number of voters belonging to scheduled caste and scheduled tribe present in the State. However, it is unlikely that names of the probable candidates for the next elections would come for discussion openly but party sources mentioned that feedback would be taken from the incumbents by Amit Shah.

“All the MPs have been told to be prepared with their report cards about achievements in their respective constituencies. Internal reports are also there. Amit Shah would be presented with detailed report about every Lok Sabha constituency along with probable names other than the sitting MPs,” said a senior leader.