Buzz in BJP: Early polls likely in Delhi

NEW DELHI: There is a buzz in the BJP circles that the Delhi Assembly elections, scheduled in February next year, could be preponed and held with three other state assemblies this year. The assembly elections in neighbouring Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand are scheduled to be held this year.

BJP national general secretary Ramlal on Wednesday told the office bearers of the party’s Delhi unit that if the assembly elections in the state were preponed then the restructuring of the state unit could be deferred.

“Mr Ramlal said that elections of Delhi unit from booth president to state president may be held by September-October, if the Assembly polls are held as per schedule in early next year, but organisational elections will be suspended if polls are preponed,” said a senior Delhi BJP office bearer, who was present in the meeting. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had last month claimed that the BJP may go for early polls in the national capital in the backdrop of party’s massive victory in Lok Sabha elections.

A senior party leader said that early poll will put a break of Arvind Kejriwal’s inauguration spree likely to start from October end till the announcement of poll dates.

“After Lok Sabha defeat, Mr Kejriwal started talking about development, completion of several projects in January and already started inaugurating works. An early polls will put a break on foundation stone laying or inuguration spree to be start in October and will go till implementation of model code of conduct,” he added.

Ahead of the party’s July 6 membership drive, Mr Ramlal came down heavily on the state office bearers, saying they were not performing to the best of their ability. He, however, praised the party workers for working passionately at the grass roots level.

Setting target to enroll new members, Mr Ramlal asked Delhi BJP to get its members count to 54 lakh from current 14.5 lakh. “Mr Ramlal while targeting five percent votes share, Delhi BJP must work hard to make about 54 lakh members, which come to around 38 per cent of total vote counts in the city,” said a party insider.

Talking about membership drive, Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said that membership campaign is like elixir of life for the state unit in which elections are going to be held shortly because winning elections is not difficult in the state in which we have better workers.

“The people of Delhi have already voted in favor of BJP during the Loksabha elections. Now, we need to formally enroll them as Members and this will completed during this campaign,” Mr Tiwari added.