BJP’s top leaders to hold rallies across all 70 seats
Opposition Congress says move indicated BJP’s fear of losing 2022 assembly polls
DEHRADUN: With Uttarakhand assembly polls nearing, the ruling BJP is planning to intensify its campaign by holding political events in all the 70 assembly seats in the state to be addressed by as many nationallevel and senior leaders
“The party has now stepped into full election mode in a bid to come to power again in the state assembly elections. The party is planning to hold big events across all 70 assembly seats by inviting as many national-level leaders, includingh union ministers, officebearers in the party organisation as well as chief ministers of BJP-ruled states,” a senior BJP leader said on condition of anonymity.
The move has come two days after BJP national president JP Nadda launched Vijay Sankalp Yatra in Haridwar followed by a roadshow in the presence of party state president Madan Kaushik and chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, among other leaders.
On Sunday, Union minister Anurag Thakur launched the Yatra’s Kumaon leg in Bageshwar in the presence of party’s senior leaders.
In the last two months, BJP senior leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, union home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh and national president Nadda, have held rallies at different places.
“The events which are being planned will include roadshows, public meetings and rallies for which party’s national leaders will come to the state. In that line, party’s state leadership is planning to organise a rally of PM Modi in Haldwani city of Nainital district in Kumaon division on December 30,” the leader quoted above said, adding that the dates and venues of the events of the senior leaders are yet to be decided.
“It is because, along with Uttarakhand, four more states will go to polls early next year. Hence, the state leadership has to plan the events considering the busy schedule of the national leaders,” he said.
When contacted, party state president Madan Kaushik refused to share details of the plan, saying the national leadership’s decision is awaited.
“As we have said, we are now in full election mode as the dates of the polls would soon be announced by the election commission.
“We are making all preparations for the campaign under which we will invite many of our national-level and senior leaders to the state. We would inform about their events as and when they are finalised,” said Kaushik.
The opposition Congress said the move indicated BJP’s fear of losing the elections.
Congress state president Ganesh Godiyal said, “These steps are nothing but BJP’s fear of losing the upcoming elections. The people of Uttarakhand are not with them, which was evident with the empty chairs during PM Modi’s rally in Dehradun on December 4. “On the other hand, the same venue was overcrowded with people during the rally of our leader Rahul Gandhi about 10 days later. People are waiting for the 2022 elections to teach BJP a lesson because they did nothing for the state in their tenure.”