BJP prepares blueprint for 2024 Assembly polls

BHUBANESWAR: Buoyed by its performance in Odisha in the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, the BJP is preparing a blueprint, which includes strengthening its grassroots, to win the 2024 Assembly polls and form the government.

The saffron party, which had set a target of bagging 120 Assembly and at least 12 Lok Sabha seats this time, managed to get 8 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats and 23 of the 147 Assembly seats in Odisha.

“Emerging as a party fighting for development, eradication of poverty and unemployment, the BJP in the coming days will focus on industrialisation and agro-processing activities to create more jobs and launch new programmes on its own to stop migration of rural workforce to other states in search of livelihood,” informed state in-charge Arun Singh.

He said, “The BJD has almost ruined the state economy in its last 20 years of rule. Development has completely stagnated and unemployed rate has increased to an unacceptable limit. Law and order situation has deteriorated considerably and police stations have become centres of party activities. Add to this, collectors in most of the districts are working like party representatives,” said Mr Singh.

BJP sources said the party’s state unit is drawing up a strategy to ensure its victory in the forthcoming polls to Patkura and Bijepur Assembly constituencies.

Elections could not be held for Patkura Assembly constituency as BJD candidate Bed Prakash Agrawala died a few days before the polls while Odisha chief minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik who contested from two seats — Hinjli and Bijepur — vacated the latter.

Sources informed that after the polls for the two Assembly segments, the party would try to put up a good show in the urban local body polls to be held later this year.

“A good show in urban polls will further boost the morale of the party workers who are in high spirits following our spectacular show in the Lok Sabha elections,” said BJP state vice-president Samir Mohanty. The BJP which had inducted a good number of BJD leaders ahead of the general elections is also trying to rope in a few more stalwarts of the regional party to strengthen its footprints in coastal Odisha.

“Many of the BJD stalwarts who had joined the BJP ahead of the general elections, made significant contributions to our presence in coastal Odisha. At present, we do not have plans to induct any more leaders from any other party. However, we will consider to rope in those leaders who have good public image and organisational skills,” a senior BJP leader privy to the development said.

State BJP had raised 36,000 booths ahead of the polls and these units will be assigned to step up their activities for better show in urban polls, he said.

The party has also decided to categorise Assembly segments as “A, B, C and D” based on the performance in the seats in the Lok Sabha polls.

“The seats where we have taken a lead would fall under category ‘A’ and the seats where we are in the close second position would fall under category ‘B’. The rest of the seats where we are second with a distant margin would fall under the ‘C’ category and the seats where we are third would fall under ‘D’ category,” a source in the BJP said.

The party will increase its political activity in the entire state and reach out to the masses. But special focus will be on seats categorised as “A, B and C”, another senior BJP leader said.

“We will work towards ensuring victory in seats in these three categories,” the leader said.

The party has also decided to prepare a roadmap based on state and constituency-wise issues.