GUWAHATI: BJP national president JP Nadda will reach Assam on Monday afternoon to start the party’s campaign for the ensuing assembly elections, which is likely to be held in April.
Nadda will hold a public rally — ‘Vijay Sankalpa Samabesh’ — at the Police Parade Ground in Silchar in Barak Valley, followed by a meeting with the top leadership of the state BJP, including its Assam president Ranjeet Kumar Dass, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convener Himanta Biswa Sarma, in Guwahati.
“He will review every aspect of the preparation of the party, including booth-level work, party’s stronghold, weakness, public sentiment, acceptance, strength in minority seats, Barak Valley and upper Assam,” Diplu Ranjan Sarma, general secretary of the state BJP, said.
He said the meeting will be focus on strengthening the party base across the state so that it can retain power. “After reviewing the preparations, he will give guide the party on how to move forward to succeed in the BJP+=100+ mission,” he added.
Even before the Lok Sabha election, the party started its campaign from the Barak Valley. The party set a target to win 12 of the 15 seats in the Valley.
Party’s Assam in-charge Baijayant Panda has already camped in the state and is minutely monitoring the party works across the state, while co-in-charge Pawan Sharma is holding public meetings and meeting party workers in lower Assam districts, including Nalbari, Barpeta, Goalpara and Dhubri districts. The state BJP chief is holding meetings in upper Assam, while Panda is in Barak Valley.
State BJP organizing secretary Phanindra Nath Sarma told TOI that the party is in a strong position across 28,000 booth areas in the state. “Strengthening the party at the booth-level is a continuous process of BJP and it is working tirelessly for which we have won the Bodoland Territorial Council elections and the Tiwa Autonomous Council elections,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sarma said no talks on seat sharing with allies and ticket distribution will be held. “Any talk or call regarding seat sharing and ticket distribution are expected by the end of February or March,” he added.
Nadda, who will conclude his tour by offering prayers at the Kamakhya temple, will not be holding any official talks with Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), which played a vital role as key ally in forming the government, and the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), the two regional parties with which it is expected to enter a pre-poll alliance. The saffron party has already sidelined its former ally Bodoland People’s Front (BPF).
Nadda will be accompanied by the national general secretary (organizing) BL Santhosh during his visit.
Union home minister Amit Shah will visit the state on January 27 to attend the first anniversary of the signing of the third Bodo Accord in Kokrajhar district, one of the four Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) districts. He is also likely to hold a public rally in Nalbari district in lower Assam.
According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin his election campaign in February and is likely to visit the state at least five times between February and March.