With 2024 not far, BJP gets stronger, weakens its opponents at the same time

Santosh Kumar Pathak

New Delhi, May 22 (IANS) Eyeing upcoming Assembly elections and 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP is working on a two-pronged strategy - strengthening the organisation and and at the same time weakening its opponents.

The saffron party is busy in expanding its base by using every occasion and platform to inform people about the achievements of the Modi government.

On the completion of eight years of the Modi government, the party has planned several outreach programmes from May 30 to June 14 and will run a special campaign 'Sewa, Sushasan and Garib Kalyan' (Service, Good governance and Welfare of the Poor).

The Modi government has asked its ministers to go to the villages and directly interect with the people.

On the occasion of the International Yoga Day on June 21, BJP workers have decided to organise Yoga camps at 75,000 places across the country.

To pay tributes to Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee on his Balidaan Diwas, the BJP workers will plant trees across the country from June 23 to July 6.

On the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi under the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' campaign, BJP MPs are already busy in making 75 ponds in their areas and are doing other social works.

The saffron party's strategy is to reach out to all sections of the society and establish direct contact with them.

The BJP is in fact working at booth level to strengthen the party.

The BJP has decided to hold the meetings of all the state executives by June 10, all district executives by June 20 and all mandal executives by June 30.

Apart from this, a target has also been set to complete the three-day training of BJP workers in all the states by July.

In view of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP is also working on a special strategy how to strengthen its "weak" booths. A total of 73,000 such booths have been identified. To increase party's influence on these booths, a panel of four senior leaders was formed in April.

Most of the weak booths are in southern and eastern states. The list includes minority community dominated booths where the BJP is weaker than other parties.

At the same time, the BJP is also focusing on weakening its opponents. Under this strategy, the BJP will target those opposition leaders who are popular and influential in their areas but upset with their parent parties.

Congress leader Manik Saha, who had joined the BJP, was made the Tripura chief minister.

The party has indicated that it believes in giving respect to a leader who is capable and popular and rewards them accordingly.

The BJP recently inducted Sunil Jakhar into the party fold as he was upset with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. In Gujarat, speculations are rife that Patidar leader Hardik Patel, who quit the Congress recently, will join the BJP.

According to sources, in Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh too, the BJP is eyeing several disgruntled leaders who are upset with the Congress.

However, a senior leader of the BJP told IANS that internal democracy no longer exists in many regional and family-based parties including the Congress, and that's why good leaders, unhappy with the arrangements there, are looking for alternatives.

The party said it is not necessary that all the opposition leaders would join BJP or BJP should include all of them into its fold.

The main opposition party in Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party is likely to weaken further after rift surfaced between Akhilesh Yadav and senior party leader Azam Khan with Shivpal Yadav wooing Azam Khan.

This is a win win situation for the BJP.