Thanks to the “NaMo” wave, BJP’s Uttar Pradesh unit is busy sorting out the 800-plus applications received by it to contest the 80 parliamentary seats in the general polls. While the saffron party has currently 10 MPs from the state, applicants are confident of BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s “immense popularity” to help them win the electoral battle in the state where the saffron party has been desperately trying to increase its numbers.
Even though Mr Modi is yet to visit the state and the party is currently busy strengthening itself up to the block level, the party is flooded with applications with “applicants sounding confident” that the party will emerge as the “single largest party” under Mr Modi’s leadership. There is also a huge demand from the state unit for Mr Modi to contest the Lok Sabha polls from the state. Mr Modi will hit the campaign trail in the state from next month and is scheduled to address nine rallies in different regions.
The Central leadership has formed a four-member committee to shortlist a panel of four applicants by October. While the party maintains good governance and development are its main poll planks, it is also relying on polarisation of votes in the wake of recent communal riots and Mr Modi’s “Hindutva icon” image.
The RSS wants the BJP to blend in “Hindutva” in its poll campaign in the state, which is given the credit of bringing the BJP to the national political scene after the Ram mandir movement.
Mr Modi’s close confidante and party general secretary Amit Shah is the party’s state in-charge and busy strengthening the organisation with the aim of lifting the saffron party’s fortune in the state with the maximum number of parliamentary seats.