BJP plans for UP, PM Modi says take lessons from Bengal

NEW DELHI: Prompted by the lurking threat of a “third wave”, the BJP brass including PM Narendra Modi have brainstormed for several hours on an extensive virtual campaign for the forthcoming assembly polls in five states, including Uttar Pradesh, next year.
After having deliberated for over two days among themselves over what is expected to be the “new normal” in electoral politics, BJP chief J P Nadda and national general secretaries had a five-hour discussion with the PM on Sunday on how to reach out to the electorate amid pandemic curbs.
The PM, on his part, is learnt to have given suggestions emphasising on taking lessons from past mistakes, a reference to the organisation agonising over why the saffron challenge to Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal could not succeed and why it failed to convert what it considers the growth in Hindutva’s appeal in Kerala into electoral gains.
“Take lessons from the failures while making future strategies,” the PM is learnt to have told party office-bearers.
Sources said the party has decided to focus on improving its digital reach across the country for which party cadres in poll-bound states will be trained. It was learnt that the party is working on a plan to live stream virtual rallies of senior leaders in all assembly constituencies where polling will take place next year. Different morchas have also been asked to make plans about how to reach out to the electorate in the poll-bound states.
Office-bearers in UP have been asked to hold meetings at the regional level to boost poll preparations. “The poll in-charges at assembly level have been tasked to review the performance of sitting MLAs, and feedback will play a crucial role in finalising candidates,” a BJP functionary said.
Party office-bearers called on Modi after Nadda and general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh held a meeting with eight general secretaries and the presidents of its yuva, kisan, mahila, OBC, SC, ST and minority morchas. The members also deliberated on post-poll violence in Bengal, BJP general secretaries said.