Farmers Movement Archive

After Nadda, Rajnath, Amit Shah to galvanise booth presidents

LUCKNOW: With Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav inking pact with Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) and on the verge of seat-sharing agreement with its old partner Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has stepped up preparations for meetings with booth presidents in these regions. The party is also set to launch rath yatras which would traverse through important assembly segments in rural areas and connect with farmers, party leaders said. The rath yatras were also discussed at the BJP’s core committee meeting at the UP BJP headquarters in Lucknow. The meeting was attended by party chief JP Nadda who has now wound up his meetings with booth presidents in Gorakhpur and Kanpur. Next, defence minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to address meetings in Avadh (Sitapur) and Kashi (Jaunpur) regions, possibly on November 25 and 27 and union home minister Amit Shah will be arriving later for meetings in Braj and Pashchim (west UP) regions. “SP’s pact with SBSP and RLD is a good strategic move in east and west, but we have also cemented pacts with allies like Nishad Party and Apna Dal along with several smaller caste-based groups who have limited but strategic appeal in their communities. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tours have begun in UP and as elections near and campaign peaks up, you will see the shift towards us in a big way because Modi’s popularity remains unmatched,” said a UP BJP leader. “Gorakhpur is the chief minister’s region while Kanpur also comprises key Bundelkhand belt where the BJP had won all the 19 assembly seats and now faces the task of retaining its 2017 feat. Likewise, Kashi region also comprises Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency and given the SP’s tie-up with SBSP, the BJP would want to do well here. Similarly, Avadh region comprises Ayodhya and organization-wise Kashi and Avadh are the largest regions of the BJP. The Braj and Pashchim are tricky, especially the Pashchim (west UP) belt, the epicenter of farmers’ agitation where despite withdrawal of farm laws, the farmers have still not relented. The SP is on the verge of a pact with RLD in west UP,” said a senior BJP leader, explaining why the three top leaders had been tasked with connecting with booth presidents in these regions.

Hindustan Times

23-11-2021

Lucknow