Amit Shah checks UP numbers to avoid Bihar-type errors

New Delhi: The BJP is busy preparing for the crucial electoral battle in Uttar Pradesh by fine-tuning its caste arithmetic, getting updated on social and political factors and  vetting “influential people” who are not eyeing a ticket.

While all eyes are on the party’s candidates list, its poll managers want to make sure that past mistakes, including those during the Bihar Assembly elections, are not repeated, whether related to chosing the “right candidate” to highlighting the “right poll issue” during campaigning.

BJP president Amit Shah, sources said, is having regular meetings with the party’s state leaders and also getting regular feedback from ditsrict levels on issues that can impact party’s poll prospects.

The BJP is also taking feedback on the Modi government’s latest demonetisation move as its opponents, including the SP and the BSP, are criticising it as a burden on the comman man.

Sources said a team of dedicated supporters, who will be given crucial tasks, is being vetted by the party’s poll managers.

This team will mostly include “influential people,” who are not vying for party a ticket, but have influence in their respective areas.

Though the party had earlier decided to announce some candidates names by August, it decided to delay the announcement after getting inputs that it could lead to dissent and leadership should do more ground work before finalising the names.

The party is likely to field around 50 to 70 candidates, who have joined the saffron fold from other political outfits.

While corruption, development and law and order situation are going to be BJP’s main poll planks, party leadership wants that even issues that are considered important in a particular area, is highlighted during campaigning. Mr Shah, sources said, has asked state leaders to apprise him of all the important social, cultural and political events from every ditsrict of the state.