Amit Shah to focus on Bihar for 2019
Decision may well ring a bell for JD(U) which is BJP’s senior partner in the coalition government
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah has decided to focus on Bihar where the party had emerged a poor third in 2015 Assembly elections after sweeping the 2014 Lok Sabha elections even after Janata Dal (United) leaving the NDA.
In a marathon meeting with Bihar BJP’s core group members on Thursday evening, Shah asked them to expand and strengthen the party at the booth level in all the 40 Lok Sabha constituencies.
Shah will undertake an elaborate visit of Bihar in November this year to oversee party’s preparations and organise and encourage party functionaries and cadres at the booth level, BJP sources said.
The decision is expected to ring a bell for JD(U) which is BJP’s senior partner in running the government in Bihar.
But sources in the BJP said, “The JD(U) won’t mind the arrangement as our cadres and booth managers will be helping and strengthening the JD(U) in constituencies where it would field its candidates.”
In addition, Shah also asked all key ministers of the BJP in Bihar government to pay special attention to the Bihar specific schemes and ensure their timely implementation. Central ministers have also been conveyed the same, sources added.
After winning 22 out of 40 seats in 2014 Lok Sabha elections along with smaller partners, the BJP had slipped to third position in the Assembly elections, which saw Nitish Kumar joining hands with Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD and the Congress to form a grand alliance.
BJP then managed to win only 53 out of the 243 seats Bihar Assembly with Lalu’s RJD coming first with 80 seats, and JD(U) winning 71 seats, and the Congress getting 27 seats.
‘Extended’ meet
All BJP lawmakers and the party’s senior leadership from states will participate in its “extended” national executive meeting to be held in the national capital on September 25.
The party has asked its 281 Lok Sabha members, 56 Rajya Sabha members, close to 1,400 MLAs, its MLCs and members of its core group of states to attend the event to be addressed by PM Modi.