BJP National President Amit Shah on Saturday began a country-wide 95-day tour from Jammu to strategise ways to strengthen the party at grassroots level with an eye to win the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
The visit assumes significance in view of the deteriorating security condition in the State and increasing tension between coalition partners—the BJP and the PDP—following certain remarks made by some BJP leaders and a minister.
Mr. Shah arrived at the Jammu airport this morning, where the ministers and party leaders received him. He was later taken to the Government Guest House in a big cavalcade in a scooter and motorcycle rally.
Jammu’s roads were decorated with thousands of flags, flowers and banners in honour of Mr. Shah’s visit.
Flanked by BJP leaders Ram Lal, Jitendra Singh and Anil Jain, Mr. Shah is scheduled to address a meeting of MPs, MLAs, MLCs, VCs and state office bearers at the Government Convention Centre. He will later address a large gathering of senior citizens at the same venue.
The BJP office tweeted about Mr. Shah’s visit, saying the main aim was to strengthen the party at the booth-level and to spread and reach out to the last man in the last row with the prime minister’s pro-poor schemes, it said.
The BJP national president will inaugurate Nanaji Deshmukh Library and e-Library tomorrow, followed by the release of a book at the party headquarters in Trikuta Nagar.
At the same venue, Shah will chair a meeting of the heads of department, he said.
The BJP national president will also hold separate meetings on Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Birth Centenary Karya Vistar Yojana, Aajeevan Sehyog Needhi and Finance, IT, Social Media and Election Management.
Shah’s visit also assumes prominence in view of the tension between the PDP and the BJP last week which was followed by the meetings between Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to deescalate the situation.
