Gear up for LS, assembly polls; J P Nadda directs J&K BJP core group

Jammu, Jan 7: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president J P Nadda Sunday directed the party’s J&K core group to be in an absolute “ready-mode” for parliamentary and assembly polls.

Hinting at the possibility of simultaneous assembly and parliamentary polls, he exhorted the J&K leadership to mobilise the full strength of J&K unit’s human resources to bring all sections of society into party fold.

Nadda issued these directions, while virtually chairing an hour-long meeting of the J&K BJP core-group this evening. The BJP president was forced to hold a virtual meeting after the cancellation of his much- anticipated day-long visit to J&K after weather played a spoil-sport and his plane could not land this morning.

He also asked the party leaders to reach out to people as a mass movement by ensuring saturation of all public-welfare central government schemes.

“No one from any section of society should be left out. Ensure it as a resolve of the party’s supreme leadership to go to election with full preparation and as an achiever reach out to the electorate,” was his main thrust area during the meeting.

Though today’s visit could not happen due to inclement weather conditions yet the leaders, who attended the meeting, requested the party president to reschedule his itinerary to include Jammu in the days to come. Their line of reasoning was that he did not visit them after the Supreme Court’s landmark verdict on abrogation of Article 370 and BJP’s splendid victory in three states viz., Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Response from the party president was in affirmation as he hinted that he had a packed schedule till January 15 yet after that he could chalk out some plan to visit J&K shortly.

Former minister and senior J&K BJP leader Dr Devinder Kumar Manyal, when contacted by Greater Kashmir, confirmed that the party president focussed on organisational matters.

“His directions, as always, were lucid and clear for all the leaders that we would have to focus on implementation of party programmes at the grass-roots level; strengthen and amplify ‘Booth Jan Samvad programmes, booth level preparations in the assembly and parliamentary constituencies. Leaders should try to widen the party's base by bringing all sections viz., SC, STs, OBCs, minorities to the party fold in a large number and ensure saturation of all central government schemes,” Dr Manyal said.

When asked if the party president hinted at simultaneous assembly and LS polls, Dr Manyal responded in a cautious manner. “See, our party leadership has always maintained that we have to remain ready for all elections. Final call is to be taken by the Election Commission, which is the constitutional authority,” he said.