From Pradeep Kapoor
LUCKNOW: After drubbing in UP assembly polls, BJP is gearing up for better performance in civic polls scheduled in June-July.
Civic polls are biggest test for newly appointed state BJP Luxmi Kant Bajpai who has to ensure good performance for party.
Senior BJP vice-president and MLA Kalraj Mishra announced here recently that BJP would announce its manifesto shortly for civic polls.
Premlata Katiyar former MLA and minister from Kanpur has been asked to prepare the draft for the manifesto with the help of Pankaj Singh as her deputy
At a meeting held in Lucknow, former state president Rampati Ram said that BJP would tell the people that people of state earlier faced the tyranny of BSP government and they were facing goondaraj of Samajwadi Party government. Ramapati Ram said that civic polls would be curtain raiser for 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Series of meetings have been planned to gear up the moral of party workers.
In order to avoid inner bickering in the BJP, party high command has put the reorganization and change in district and city units on the hold. BJP has also postponed the meeting of observers sent to various districts to submit the reports for impending changes.
Significantly enough, BJP is holding an important meeting on May 3 at Lucknow in the presence of senior leaders Narendra Singh Tomar and Sanjay Joshi to bring changes in state office-bearers.
BJP is expecting to do well in civic elections as it has better organisation and good presence in urban areas as compared to other parties. Political observers feel that BJP should do well in civic polls as it would capitalize on opposing the aggressive Muslim card being played by Samajwadi Party government in the state.
BJP is openly opposing the Akhilesh Yadav government’s announcement of Rs 30,000 grant to Muslim girls for education or marriage. BJP leaders were spreading the message as to why no such grant could be given to poor Hindu families. (IPA)