With Their Eye on UP Polls, BJP Brass to Brainstorm in Allahabad

Members of Union Cabinet, chief ministers of BJP-ruled states and members of Parliament will take part in the meet.

With an eye on the crucial Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, BJP’s national executive will begin its two-day meet in Allahabad on Sunday which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah among others.

Senior members of the Union Cabinet, chief ministers of BJP-ruled states and members of Parliament will take part in the meet, which is likely to set the agenda for the Assembly elections in the state which are less than a year away.

Almost all the streets and roundabouts are dotted with billboards or posters welcoming Modi and other leaders to the city and exhorting residents to turn out in huge numbers for the rally which will be held on Monday, immediately after the conclusion of the meeting.

There are also any number of posters displaying the header ‘Mission 265 Plus’ – a term coined by Shah who has repeatedly exhorted workers to aim at achieving a thumping majority for the party in the 403-strong UP assembly.

Many issues would be discussed at the national executive but the main focus would obviously be on the UP assembly polls due next year.

Om Mathur, BJP Vice-President and In-charge for Uttar Pradesh

Allahabad has been the state’s political epicentre and the place where stalwarts ranging from Jawaharlal Nehru to VP Singh have learnt their ropes. And a party meeting organised here will certainly have a catalytic effect on our efforts to bring about political change in Uttar Pradesh.

Siddharth Nath Singh, BJP National Secretary

The BJP at present has less than 50 MLAs in a 403-member house, a massive decline since the 1990s when it used to be the top political group in the state.

The BJP is committed to rid the state of SP and BSP, both of which have ruled the state alternately for more than a decade and brought it to ruins.

Shrikant Sharma, Party Spokesperson