Encouraged by the BJP's spectacular performance in panchayat polls in Odisha early this year, party president Amit Shah has set his eyes for a bigger haul in the 2019 elections.

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Beginning on Tuesday, Shah will undertake a three-day tour of Ganjam, Jajpur and Khurda districts, which fall among the 16 districts where the BJD had secured a clear majority in panchayat polls.

Giving goosebumps to the ruling BJD, the BJP had pushed the Congress (60 seats) to a distant third spot by increasing its tally sharply — up from a mere 36 seats to an impressive 294 seats — in the panchayat polls held in February this year. In the 2014 state Assembly elections, the BJP had managed to secure only 10 seats against the BJD's 117 and Congress's 16.

After holding a meeting with BJP's Odisha unit president Basant Panda and other senior state leaders, Shah, besides attending party workers' meetings in Ganjam, Jajpur and Khurda, is expected to interact with district leaders and discuss strategies to strengthen the BJP's cadre and electoral base in Odisha under the 'Mo Booth Sabuthu Majboot' (My Booth is the Strongest) programme.

Shah is scheduled to attend a party workers' conference in coastal district of Ganjam on July 4 and the next day in Jajpur district on July 5. He is slated to meet BJP Zila parishad members, block presidents and vice-presidents in Khurda district on the final day of his visit on July 6.

The three places that Shah has chosen to visit hold historical and cultural heritage importance that may come handy to the BJP to spread its base.

Jajpur is historically significant for being the royal capital of Odisha during the reign of Kesari dynasty and is associated with the name of Lord Jagannath, worshipped across Odisha as a form of Vishnu. Both Ganjam (Granary of the World) and Khurda (Fort) have also been closely associated with India's freedom struggle besides having rich cultural heritage.

...& ANALYSIS

  • Amit Shah’s efforts to ensure that BJP wins the 2019 polls is a warning sign for the Oppn.  
  • His booth-level management of the campaign process is especially worrying for the party’s detractors.