BJP plans organisational rejig in UP ahead of bypolls

Lucknow, Aug 27 (IANS) After the Cabinet reshuffle, the Bharatiya Janata Party is preparing for a revamp of its organisational machinery in Uttar Pradesh.

The party is selecting new foot soldiers in the 13 Assembly segments, where by-elections are due. The exercise will be carried out in all Assembly segments in order to refurbish the party organisation for the 2022 Assembly elections.

According to party sources, about 40 to 45 per cent of the district units would be disbanded and reorganised and new district presidents and other functionaries would be elected.

The organisational reshuffle, which normally takes place every three years, is already past the deadline. The move comes close on heels of the just concluded BJP membership drive during which it inducted 50 lakh new members.

UP BJP General Secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak said: "The BJP is run democratically and new functionaries are elected every three years. An organisational reshuffle was due in 2018, but was delayed as the party was gearing up for the Lok Sabha elections."

The party has decided on micro-management at booth-and-sector levels to reach out to maximum voters. In the process, divisions are proposed to be raised from 1,400 to 1,900 and a sector-level unit would comprise six booths, instead of 12.

"A new band of party functionaries will give a new lease of life to the organisation," said Rakesh Tripathi, spokesperson, UP BJP.

He said the grassroots organisational reshuffle would eventually give a new shape to the party to take on the Opposition. Subsequently, the state-level leadership would be decided. This comes amidst the party identifying active members, who managed to get at least 50 new people to the party fold.

Sources said, the BJP plans to lay a special focus on 30,000 booths, where it could not get a single vote in the recent Lok Sabha elections. These are booths are dominated by Dalits and Muslims and caste realignment would be done to suit its electoral fortunes.