New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party in Gujarat come up with a novel way to nip any rebellion that could upset its calculations in the Gujarat Assembly elections in the bud — taking the help of those considered close to potential rebels to help “persuade” them.
After the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) declared a list of candidates for a number of seats for the polls due in December, the BJP has asked several of its Members of Parliament and senior party leaders to recommend names of probable candidates, party sources told ThePrint.
A senior party leader said that apart from a list of probable candidates for the elections, the party has also asked for another list of people who are considered close to such probables and who could help “persuade” them in case they don’t get tickets.
A party functionary told ThePrint that the BJP was concerned that those who have been denied tickets could cause a dent in the party’s overall performance.
“Every election this is an issue that takes a lot of time and energy. Those who are denied tickets end up staging demonstrations or they even decide to join the opposition camp. The Aam Aadmi Party and Congress are just waiting for such party functionaries so that they can lure them,” another party leader told ThePrint. “This is why this time it has been decided to prepare a list of those considered close to the probable candidates so that they can get in touch with them immediately without wasting any time.”
Elections for Gujarat’s 182-member assembly are likely to be held later this year. The BJP, in power in Gujarat since 1995, is trying to improve the double-digit tally it recorded in 2017 election, when the Congress put up a tough fight, winning 77 seats and confining the BJP to 99.
The competition is stiffer this year with the entry of Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP.
The AAP factor
In 2017, the BJP suspended a number of its senior party workers who decided to contest as independent candidates or chose to stand as rival candidates after being denied party tickets. In fact, some BJP candidates even lost elections because of such rebels.
This time around, another factor has given the BJP some cause for unease — the AAP’s growing popularity in some parts of the state. The party gained some ground in Gujarat — in the municipal elections last year, AAP secured 28 per cent of votes in Surat, 21 per cent in Gandhinagar, and 17 per cent in Rajkot.
At the organisational level, the state BJP president C.R. Patil has been focusing on the party’s “One Day, One District” programme in order to understand the concerns of grassroot workers and ensure their feedback is taken before deciding on an election strategy, a party leader said.
Under this initiative, the party undertakes around 8-10 voter outreach programmes in one district — such as holding small meetings, roping in intellectuals, reaching out to the beneficiaries of the state and central government schemes as well as one-to-one meetings to address grievances.
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)
Also Read: Taking the battle to the adversary’s school gate: AAP in Gujarat, BJP in Delhi