New BJP panel to woo youngsters

Lucknow: Perturbed over the recent drubbing of ABVP members in students’ elections and then the poor turnout of youth in the ongoing municipal elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party has now decided to focus on the youth.

The BJP is not only relooking at its youth organisations, namely ABVP and BYJM, but is also starting the process of identifying at least five youth, including two girls, in every constituency. These five youths will form a part of the party’s youth squad.

All MPs and legislators have been asked to identify five youth from their constituencies. The youth constitutes almost 65 per cent of the population and play a crucial role in elections. “These youth will be trained by party cadres, taught how to put forth the Modi government’s achievements among the youth, counter the misinformation campaign of the opposition and encourage the involvement of youth in party activities. Since the youth understand the mindset of their peers, they will inform us of the problems and we will suggest ways to deal with them,” said a senior party functionary. Members of the youth squad will also be sent abroad to participate in seminars and other such programmes.

Party general secretary Bhupendra Yadav is in charge of this programme. The erosion in the popularity of the party’s youth wings in recent student elections has left the party troubled.