National Executive meet to virtually kickstart BJP's campaign for UP polls

New Delhi: The two-day BJP National Executive in Allahabad on 12 and 13 June will virtually kick off the party’s campaign for the state assembly polls with “misgovernance” of Samajwadi Party and the central government’s “good governance” as its planks besides projecting pro-farmer schemes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also address a rally in the city on 13 June, which will set the tone for the saffron party’s multi-pronged efforts to capture power in the state after 14 years. n To counter the challenge of BSP, which according to many observers has bounced back following its rout in the Lok Sabha polls, BJP will paint it along with SP, Congress and Ajit Singh-led RLD as “partners” who were “allies” in Delhi during the 10-year UPA rule.

“BSP supported Congress during the recent floor test in Uttarakhand. It supported the UPA government all these years; so did SP. We will talk about it,” a party leader said.

In a state where farmers are a key constituency, the national executive meeting will also underscore the Modi government’s measures like crop insurance, irrigation and rural road schemes to “empower” the community.

The state government’s alleged apathy in executing a host of central government’s schemes like village electrification and rural road projects will be highlight as well.

A party leader said the state government had denied farmers benefits of the insurance scheme so far as it had not chosen an agency to undertake the exercise, adding that it will be a talking point.

In contrast, the central government will be projected as a “doer” which has established “new benchmarks of good governance”.

Taking off from Modi’s speech in Saharanpur on 26 May, when his government completed its two years, the party will also highlight the Centre’s efforts to clear dues of sugarcane farmers.

BJP may also use Allahabad, where lakhs of Hindu devotees arrive annually to take bath in Sangam, to reach out to its core constituency with party state’s unit likely to make arrangements for the executive members to visit the holy place to take the holy dip.

Meanwhile, official sources said the much-anticipated rejig in the key party body will have to wait and it may occur later. Shah was earlier expected to reconstitute the executive before the Allahabad meet.