‘Develop them as places that draw visitors’
*Party’s national office bearers, State/UT chiefs discuss strategy
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 5: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today that India’s presidency of the G-20 is a matter of pride for all citizens and it is an occasion to establish globally Indianness and its culture.
Addressing a key meeting of BJP leaders from across the country, Modi also asked party members to maintain direct connect with border villagers and said they should be developed as places that draw visitors.
Earlier, the Prime Minister inaugurated the BJP’s national office-bearers meeting and said there is an acknowledgement worldwide of the country’s emergence as an economic power amid global challenges like the Ukraine war and the COVID pandemic.
He also lauded the “Kashi Tamil Sangamam”, a month-long event going on in Varanasi that celebrates ancient cultural ties between the two places.
Modi said “sneh milan”, an idea he had first voiced during the party’s national executive meeting in Hyderabad, programmes should be promoted for cultural exchanges as being seen in Kashi, an ancient name of Varanasi.
The two-day meeting will discuss various topical issues and also upcoming State elections. Party leaders are deliberating on further strengthening its presence at booths.
Besides its national office-bearers, presidents and general secretaries (organisation) of the BJP’s State units are also part of the meeting chaired by the party’s national president J P Nadda.
The party’s future strategy, preparations for the next round of State Assembly polls and various ongoing organisational activities will be discussed in the meeting which is also serving as a stock-taking exercise for leaders who are engaged in organisational works round the year, party sources have said.
Various groups of leaders, including Union Ministers, have also been roped in to further strengthen the party’s presence, especially in places where it lost in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and is eying victory in 2024.
Some electorally important States, including Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, besides Tripura and Chhattisgarh, are scheduled to have Assembly polls ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
However, uncertainty prevailed over Jammu and Kashmir where Assembly elections are due after completion of Delimitation Commission exercise and completion of Special Summary Revision with publication of updated Electoral Rolls after three years.
BJP national general secretary, Incharge Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Tarun Chugh, Co-Incharge J&K Ashish Sood, party’s national secretary Narinder Singh, J&K UT chief Ravinder Raina and general secretary (organizations) Ashok Koul are also attending the meeting.
Raina and Koul will give detailed briefing in the meeting on works being done by the party in Jammu and Kashmir to strengthen the organization and prepare it for the Assembly elections whenever they are held, at the meeting tomorrow.
Sources said today’s focus remained on strengthening the BJP across the country including States/UTs where party’s presence is less.
“Expansion of the organization right up to booth level, Shakti Kendras and various other organizational activities came up for discussion during the meeting,” they said.
BJP national president JP Nadda will deliver concluding address tomorrow.
There has been no Assembly in Jammu and Kashmir for over four years now.
The BJP insiders said Nadda’s speech would drop hints on Jammu and Kashmir polls as after Delimitation Commission, final electoral rolls have been published and now it would be seen whether the Election Commission takes a call on conduct of Assembly polls in April-May next or not.
Polls can’t be held till March due to harsh winter seasons in Kashmir valley and many parts of Jammu region.
The Election Commission has to take opinion of the Union Home Ministry and Jammu and Kashmir Government before taking decision on conduct of Assembly elections in the UT because of militancy. The Commission can also send its team for assessment of the situation.
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