The BJP which is drumming up nationwide support for its ‘Modi for PM’ campaign will get down to finalising its agenda and fine tune the campaign for the forthcoming 2014 general elections in the course of the coming week.
From ticket distribution to zeroing in on clean, credible candidates, from strategy to taking on traditional rivals and the new entrant to the electoral politics, the Aam Aadmi Party, to reaching out to the youth, the BJP's top leadership is expected to take stock of the party's poll preparation.
At the recently concluded Parliamentary Board meeting in New Delhi, the BJP has decided to intensify its ‘Modi for PM’ campaign through a door-to-door canvassing and by focussing attention on issues of internal security, corruption and price rise, particularly food inflation.
The Board discussed the agenda for the coming national executive and council meeting which will see the participation of nearly 10,000 office-bearers from across the country to strategise for the mid-2014 Lok Sabha polls.
The party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and president Rajnath Singh reviewed the preparations for the party's national executive and council meetings over the weekend. Sources said Mr. Modi’s brief to the party has been to focus on candidates with a clean and credible record, given that the opposition and the debutant the AAP have made corruption the mainstay of the election campaign.
“There is a possibility that some old faces might be dropped, Mr. Modi has indicated that younger candidates with a proven ability have a better chance with the youth. That will also help curtail anti incumbency. An individual’s credibility and acceptance will also prove to be vital in candidates’ selection,” said a source.
The BJP top brass and the office bearers are also expected to thrash out ideas for a political and economic agenda for the party, which will be part of its election pitch.
The BJP has so far been focussing on two campaigns -- ‘Modi for PM’ and ‘Mission 272+’, but to woo the voters, particularly the urban youth, the party has recognised the need for a sharp strategy. While Mr. Modi has been meeting people and addressing rallies, the party, which considers its cadres its strength, has decided to strengthen its outreach to voters.
The meetings will pass a political resolution which will focus attention on issues like corruption, scams, mal-governance and the internal security situation. The party will also pass a resolution on the state of the economy, price rise, decrease in foreign investment and financial problems of the poor and the middle class.
“The party has taken up the challenge of 272+ seats under Mr. Modi's leadership. The Congress has already been squeezed out of the race. We have to get a full majority in this scenario," BJP general secretary and MP Ananth Kumar said over the weekend.
