BJP chief gives party’s Haryana unit 10 days to complete organisational tasks such as mass outreach plan and setting up booth-level committees.
New Delhi: An angry Amit Shah pulled up the BJP’s Haryana leadership Friday for not carrying out the organisational tasks handed to them, and ordered they be completed in 10 days.
In a meeting that took place in the national capital, the BJP chief expressed his displeasure with the way state unit— seen to be plagued by infighting and lack of coordination— is functioning.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior leader told ThePrint that the party’s core group decided to meet within 10 days to assess the progress of work.
Sources said Shah was visibly upset with the slow execution of organisational tasks that he had given to the state leaders in August last year.
“He (Shah) asked the leaders to finish all pending tasks within 10 days,” said the senior leader.
“Tasks such as formation of booth level committees, launch of Sampark programme to reach out to masses, among others should have been completed till now,” he added.
The sources said most of the state leaders are yet to deliver on the ambitious ‘Sampark for Samarthan’ programme, launched by Shah on 29 May to mark four years of the Modi government.
Those present in Friday’s meeting were Haryana chief minister M.L. Khattar, BJP state president Subhash Barala, BJP national general secretary (organisation) Ram Lal besides three central ministers— Rao Inderjit Singh, Chaudhary Birendra Singh and Krishna Pal Gurjar.
On the agenda
A section of leaders present in the meeting seemed dissatisfied with CM Khattar’s style of functioning, according to the sources.
“A few have expressed their reservations about the CM’s style of functioning. While Shah heard their grievances, he did not say much in the meeting,” said a party source.
“But he advised everyone to keep focus on upcoming Lok Sabha polls,” the source added.
State ministers have been asked to improve their performance and not take development work lightly, the sources said.
The leaders also brainstormed on how to increase the party’s seats in the assembly as well as 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
The sources said there was a discussion on the feasibility of holding assembly and Lok Sabha elections simultaneously at the meeting.
“It is a general feeling that brand Modi would help BJP in the assembly polls as well. A discussion on the subject (simultaneous polls) is taking place at the highest level,” a senior leader said.