BJP holding crucial office bearers, Core Group meet on Jan 11

Santosh, other national leaders to participate

Avtar Bhat

JAMMU, Jan 6: Intensifying its organizational activities in J&K UT, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is holding a crucial meeting of its office bearers, senior leaders including former Ministers, ex legislators, district Prabharis, Seh Prabharis, district presidents, Morcha heads and Vistarks, on Purmandal road on January 11 which will be followed by Core Group meeting in the evening.
Both meetings will be chaired by BJP national general secretary (org) B L Santosh and party national general secretary, Tarun Chug, Union Minister in PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh, co incharge J&K, Ashish Sood and party national secretary, Dr Narinder Singh among senior leaders from the UT will attend the meetings.
Sources said while the office bearers and Prabharis meeting during the day will discuss the organizational issues and prevailing situation in the UT, the recent militant attack in Upper Dhangri in Rajouri district, Sidhra episode where four militants were killed by the security forces who had managed to enter into Indian territory and were on way to Kashmir, strengthening of Village Defence Committees especially in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, issues of protesting daily wagers, Rehbar-e-Khel and Rehbar-e-Janglat, home guards, protesting package and reserved category employees Anganwadi workers and other temporary employees are likely to figure in the Core Group meeting.
Sources said that BJP is facing a stiff opposition over the increasing militant activities and there is a brewing resentment among the people over the killing of six people in Upper Dhangri. In view of opposition exploiting the issue to its advantage and cornering BJP Government of its failure in containing militancy, the issue will figure up in Core Group and Government will be asked to intensify the security measures so that such attacks don’t take place in future.
Sources said the Dhangri attack has shaken the party leadership and the demand for strengthening the VDCs in sensitive and militancy infested areas across the region is gaining momentum. The Core Group may also press for this demand strongly and implore upon the Government to ensure that there should be no innocent killings, said a senior party functionary and a Core Group member.
Moreover, the issues of daily wagers of various departments, ReKs, ReJs, Anganwadi workers, Homeguards, other temporary employees, package and reserved category employees who are day in and day out protesting in front of BJP office will also figure in the Core Group meeting, sources said.
The meeting will impress upon the Government to frame a policy to settle these issues in the larger interests of the people of the UT, sources said, adding the party leadership is also of the view that as these employees have been appointed by the previous regimes on this assurance that they will be regularised after a particular span of time hence the present Government should frame a policy in this regard.
Sources said in the office bearers meeting the main thrust will be given on the strengthening of the party at grassroots level by the senior leaders including B L Santosh who will be the main speaker in the meeting.
The newly appointed office bearers including district presidents, Prabharis and Vistarks role will be defined and they will be asked to fully concentrate on their respective areas of function to further strengthen the party on booth Mandal, block, constituency and district level and ensure its victory in the forthcoming elections.
Sources said that besides the Assembly and local body and Panchayat poll party will from today start the exercise of Lok Sabha elections which are due in 2024 by overcoming the shortcomings and concentrating on those areas where its position is not so strong.
The Core Group meeting besides, BJP president Ravinder Raina will be attended by its other members including Union Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh, general secretary (Org), Ashok Koul, MPs Jugal Kishore Sharma and Ghulam Ali Khatana, three general secretaries , Sunil Sharma, Dr D K Manyal and Vibodh Gupta, former Deputy CMs, Dr Nirmal Singh and Kavinder Gupta, former Minister, Sat Sharma, national secretary, Dr Narinder Singh, ex MLA, Devender Rana, chief spokesperson, Sunil Sethi, vice president, Shakti Parihar, spokesperson, Ajay Bharti, Dr Darkshan Andrabi besides the Prabhari of J&K and party national general secretary, Tarun Chug and co incharge, Ashish Sood will also be present in the meeting which will be chaired by B L Santosh.