The BJP leaders in some poll-bound states believe that these people will help the party at the ground level, besides weakening the opposition camps…reports Asian Lite News.
In the run up to next year’s Assembly polls in five states, the BJP has planned to induct local influential leaders of other political parties to boost its campaign.
As per the plan, the BJP will try to induct influential leaders from the opposition camps, both at the Assembly and block levels.
Five states — Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur — are scheduled to go to the polls next year.
A senior BJP leader aware of the development pointed out that there are many influential leaders in the opposition camps at the Assembly and block levels who are unhappy with their current organisation due to different reasons.
“We are approaching these disgruntled leaders with a request to join us to serve the people. Those who are ready to serve the people and agree to follow the ideology of the BJP are welcome. There will not be any pre-condition like ticket or other promises for joining the party,” he said.
The BJP is also approaching influential individuals with an offer to join the party.
“We can find many influential individuals at the local level. Many of them are not interested in electoral politics, but are willing to work for the society. We will ask them to join us to serve the people and the society in a better way,” a party leader said.
The BJP leaders in some poll-bound states believe that these people will help the party at the ground level, besides weakening the opposition camps.
A party insider said that feedback will be taken from the local BJP leadership before allowing anyone to join the saffron camp.
AIADMK, BJP wooing PMK to remain in NDA fold
The opposition AIADMK and the BJP are reaching out to the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) to remain in the NDA fold after the latter announced to go solo in the rural local body polls.
The PMK on Tuesday announced that it would contest the ensuing rural local body elections, to be held on October 6 and October 9, alone.
The PMK is the political arm of the powerful Vanniyar community and the previous AIADMK government had ordered 10.5 per cent reservation for the community from within the Most Backward Caste (MBC) fold, a long pending demand of the PMK and its founder leader, Dr S. Ramadoss.
However, after the DMK government came to power, it announced a Government Order for the 10.5 per cent reservation for the Vanniyar community as well as a memorial for the 21 Vanniyars who were shot dead by the police during the regime of AIADMK leader M.G. Ramachandran on September 17, 1987.
Political observers are of the opinion that the DMK was trying to woo the Vanniyar community to get a stronghold in North Tamil Nadu where the community is strong. The announcement by the state president of the party and also an MLA G.K. Mani that the PMK would contest the rural local body polls alone was a shocker for the AIADMK-BJP combine. and hence the firefighting operation began quickly.
Sources in the BJP said that senior leaders of the party in New Delhi have already communicated to the PMK youth wing leader Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, who was a minister in the Atal Behari Vajpayee Government, to stay back in the NDA fold in Tamil Nadu.
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