To ensure poll victory, BJP to focus on constituencies
PLAN Divides constituencies in 3 categories; to put more resources in weak ones JAIPUR:
With two months to go for the assembly elections, the BJP in Rajasthan has come out with a “constituency-specific strategy” to improve on its chances of victory.
The party has segregated 200 assembly constituencies of the state into three categories – A, B and C. The first category includes BJP strongholds where the party is confident of victory. The second category includes seats that could go either way and the third category includes those constituencies where the party is weak.
“There are about 70-80 seats where the party has rarely lost and these constituencies form the A category. Then, there are about 100 seats where the party has won as well as lost the elections in the past. In some of these seats, the margin of victory or loss has been very narrow,” a senior party leader, who did not wish to be named, said.
In the C category, the BJP has included about 20 seats where the party candidates have lost successively in the past two or three elections, he said.
The BJP leader said that this particular strategy was based on the past election record and feedback received from ground-level party workers, and the party was yet to carry out a comprehensive survey. The BJP’s strategy is to focus more on C and B category seats. “Our aim is to transfer seats in C category to B category and those in B category to A category,” he said.
While the party will be focussing on the poll booths, it will also be using services of union ministers and other senior party leaders. “The deployment of leaders will also be influenced by caste factors. For instance, in districts bordering Haryana, we will be sending a Jat leader. Similarly, in Sriganganagar, we will be sending some tall leader from Punjab,” he said.
While refusing to comment on the party’s constituency- specific strategy, state BJP president Madanlal Saini said, “Our assessment of any seat always takes into account the feedback received from the booth-level and other party workers. Our senior party leaders, both at the national level and state level, will be assigned different constituencies for leading the campaign as and when required. There is no reason why we should not be aiming to win all the 200 seats.”
During his recent visit to Jaipur, BJP chief Amit Shah had said that the elections in three states — Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh — would set the tone for 2019 general elections.
While BJP is focussing on Congress, smaller regional parties that have pockets of influence in the state could also play spoilsport on some seats. “Smaller parties such as BSP and INLD could influence final outcome in about 20-22 seats, particularly in eastern Rajasthan. BSP has won 5-6 seats in the past and other parties too have won based on the caste factor,” said Prakash Bhandari, a political analyst. In 2008, when Congress won 96 seats, it had to seek support of six BSP MLAs, who had later defected to the Ashok Gehlot-led government.
In 2013, BJP had come to power with thumping majority in Rajasthan winning more than two-third seats. Subsequently, in the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, the party won all 25 seats. The party suffered a setback in by-polls held in January this year, losing two Lok Sabha and one Assembly seat by heavy margins. An assessment done by the party had blamed wrong candidate selection, adverse caste equations, and tardy implementation of GST for the party’s bypoll debacle.